The Assassin and The Prince
by BlueMoonMayfly
Summary: [COMPLETE] Lies, Love and Assassins more things Hitomi must deal with after the Geaen war, everything seems to center around Folken but how can Hitomi tell Van his brother was not the man he thought he was. CONTAINS SPOILERS.
1. Prologue

A/N: welcome to the first instalment of 'The Assassin and The Prince'… please Review if you have read it… as I love reviews ...Enjoy.

The Assassin and the Prince.

Two weeks after Folken's death, things are getting back on track, which is until a woman being chased by Zaibach soldiers run into him and drops a book. The book happens to be Folken's Journal telling of his life in Zaibach and of a woman named Temari. Van wishes to get to the bottom of things but that is not easy when someone is after his life.

**Prologue**

_Zaibach. _

A terrible cry came from the Emperors throne room, the Emperor was dead, the war was over, but that was not why the girl with the raven hair was crying. Several hundred meters on the main floor of the Emperors room at the foot of his unusual life-support machine there lay a black-winged angel. This is where she sat, her long hair as black as his wings, soon soldiers would come and find him, take her away. He was a traitor to the Zaibach Empire; she would never leave his broken body, she had already leaned over the pool of crimson liquid that had formed to close his eyes she loved so much, the key to the soul. Many had said that his eyes were hardened by his life, but for her they always softened, for her his eyes were always kind and warm.

"Ri…Ri what are you doing here? You have to get out." Came a cry from a woman at the entrance, she hurried in and gasped at the sight of the man in his mid twenties laid before the woman named Ri.

"Please Ri… I have a Guymelef waiting… the sorcerers are coming…" The woman looked older than Ri, and had short brown hair.

"The Sorcerers?" Ri stood, and looked towards the door in which her friend had entered. "Please Mii… you must hide." Mii stood shocked at her friend's words.

Ri slowly drew her sword as the first sorcerers began to enter followed by a few soldiers. Mii watched from her hiding place as Ri grasped her hair in her left hand and slowly ran her sword through the raven locks. Mii could not help but let out a little gasp of shock, Ri's hair was almost to the floor and now she had so crudely hacked it off leaving it to hang around her shoulders.

"I see, Miss Saki by order of General Adelphos you are to be arrested and sustained until further notice." One of the sorcerers walked forward.

Ri laughed.

"Do you know the type of people I killed? I only ever killed the evil-doer. And in my opinion they don't come as evil as you the sorcerers." Ri released her hair from her grip, the sorcerers watched as it slowly drifted to the floor their attention then moved to her sword which they noticed was drawn. Ri took her sword in both hands; took one last look at the fallen prince she loved and charged towards the sorcerers.

Immediately soldiers intervened but her skill was the best in Zaibach and they were no match for her sword. An assassin's sword.

_Zaibach (still)… dungeon rooms._

Mii stood to the side of the large, cold, room, guarded buy several soldiers. She had never been in this section on the castle for she had spent most of her time on the Vione (Floating Fortress). Mii was a doctor and took care mainly for soldiers and Ri, before the war she was often called for to deal with the trainees small injuries, this was the reason she was here now. Ri was to be punished for her betrayal.

In her attempt to run away Ri had slaughtered all the sorcerers and around twenty soldiers, her punishment was a slashing of the hands. Mii could hardly watch as the beaten Ri was dragged into the room her hair still uneven and now quite dirty, she made a swing for the guard that held her and hit him straight in the face; she struggled until three more men came to tie her wrists and hands to the stone block in the middle of the room.

Mii winced as the first blow hit, Ri laughed.

"That all you got… I've felt worse from the bastards that did my back in." Mii could not believe what she was hearing, Ri had always been strong willed but this was ridicules; she was lucky they did not cut off her hands.

The man in charge of the slash laughed. This time it came down harder and even Ri winced at the pain.

_Zaibach (still)… General Adelphos's quarters._

General Adelphos paced up and down in front of the knelling Ri. Her hands heavily bandaged her hair now neat and tied back.

"Well Miss Saki, we have decided to give you another chance since your talents are hard to come across." He stopped in front of her.

"Don't you mean that the others are dead?"

"Don't be disrespectful." General Adelphos kicked Ri in the face, sending her to the floor. "I can't believe you think you can speck like that towards me." Adelphos knelt to be closer to her. "We will make a deal, if you do this one mission for us then you have complete freedom within Zaibach." Ri sat up and looked the General in the eyes… he was telling the truth.

"And if I refuse?" Ri asked trying to sound polite.

"Then you will be killed, that is if you fail as well, But we know you won't." The General smiled down at the once brilliant assassin, the assassin known as 'The raven haired angel of death' but they had broken her spirit, she would do as she was told.

"I guess I have no choice in the matter then." She stood and held her sword. "What's the mission?"

Everyone around her began to smile and talk among themselves as General Adelphos picked up a file on the near by table. He handed her the file with a grin.

"The assassination of King Van Fanel of Fanelia."

A/N: well that was the epilogue… hope you liked it… and for anyone that did not understand the cutting of the hair it's like a symbol that she's left Zaibach and is no longer an assassin…well was meant to be anyway.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters.


	2. 1: All is well

**A/N:** thanks 4 the reviews… this is a short chappie but I thought I wouldn't have the same effect if I carried it on, from where I decided to leave it.

**Chapter 1 All is well.**

_Slight history._

The war was over. Five months of fighting, the destruction of Fanelia, the Capital of Freid (Gosasim), parts of Asturia (Lanpart). Losses on all sides including men from Chesario a small nation and the country Deidlas.

People begin to get their lives back on track including Van Fanel the King of Fanelia - the worst country to suffer. The capital of Fanelia was completely destroyed, and had great losses, its people homeless living in the nearby town of Urthas and Adom. Van - one of the worst people to suffer, his life coming close to death, his mind close to insanity, his brothers death - all elements take their toll on a person's spirit. But his spirit was saved by the love of another, the strongest of human emotions yet for some completely unnecessary. For some, love brings death; thankfully for the pilot of the famous Ispano Guymelef, Escaflowne, love brought life.

Asturia now the most powerful nation on Gaea since the collapse of the Zaibach Empire, works on repairing the broken nations although the death of it King, King Aston came as a large blow to the country its Princess, Princess Millerna handles things well. The kings' death was of no surprise as he had been ill for some time, but things move on, nothing can stop or else more people will lose their lives.

Plans for the rebuilding of the capital of Fanelia are being made with the help of Austria. People are moving back to the ruined city, living in tents and helping rebuild their own homes, Folken had been laid to rest at the family grave and Escaflowne decommissioned (the energist taken out). All is well.

_Fanelia._

Van, Hitomi, Allen and Merle walk the streets of Fanelia helping out at times and overlooking how things are going.

"Fanelia is doing so well Van, I'm sure it will be back to its old self soon." Hitomi walked by Vans side holding his hand, many people would stop and stare, it was clear what was going through their minds.

Merle, although told to stay close by had run off after spotting the woman that had dragged her way when Zaibach had attacked. She thought she should go see her after running away to find Van.

Allen walked behind Van and Hitomi, catching many peoples attention for he was dressed in his Knight Caeli uniform. He stopped when he came across a young looking woman in a dark blue dress carrying a large tattered bag which looked like it would split any second. He was not sure why this young woman caught his attention, she was indeed beautiful but there was something else about her. Allen was caught off guard when he realized she was looking straight at him. The woman smiled and walked towards him.

"You're a Knight Caeli, correct?"

Allen took in the woman's features, she had short black hair tied in a bun and the darkest of eyes, she wore a tight fitting blue dress most unsuitable; for it showed her cleavage and had a large split in the side that reached her waist and showed her black high-heeled ankle boots and a holder for a dagger. The young woman wore a plain black cloak and a pendent around her neck which looked like it had been broken for a part was missing as Allen assumed it was meant to be circular. One thing he saw which seemed odd was that her hands were bandaged.

A/N: please review if u have read this... i dont mind flames.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters.


	3. 2: The Journal

**Chapter 2 The journal.**

"Well?" The young woman shifted her bag, it looked heavy.

"Yes, Yes I am… is there something I can help you with?" It was still bothering Allen that something was not right with this woman, was it her hands? Or was it that she was carrying a dagger?

"I was wondering they best way _out_ of Fanelia?" She moved he bag again.

"_Out?_ Not many people are leaving Fanelia at this moment in time, most transport is coming in." That was odd, everything about this woman made Allen think and he was becoming ever more suspicious.

"Oh, well you see it is of the most importance I leave Fanelia as soon as possible."

The young woman seemed to become distressed that she would have to stay; Allen noticed she took a tighter grip on her bag handle and began looking around.

"Well I'm sure if you find a merchant wagon you could leave, it all depends on where you wish to go-"

"Anywhere, it doesn't matter." Allen sensed the desperation in her voice.

"Are you alright Miss?" Allen went to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, when she backed away like a frightened kitten.

"I'm…I'm fine thank you." She took another nervous look around.

"Are you sure… It's just we don't get many young woman travelling alone."

"I can take care of myself, thank you for your help Sir." The young woman bowed and ran off leaving Allen with a number of questions – he never even found out her name.

_Later on, Fanelia still._

Allen had managed to catch up with Van and Hitomi, and explained why he had fallen behind in the first place though he thought that Van did not believe his story.

"So you're saying that a beautiful young woman with bandaged hands just came up to you and asked; for a way _out_ of Fanelia?" Merle had returned and was questioning Allen.

"Oh Merle leave him alone, although it is hard to believe." Van laughed as he walked out into the street.

"PLEASE GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

As Van turned to see who was shouting he was knocked over by a cloaked figure.

"Lord Van!" Merle screamed out.

The person who had run into Van was on their knees picking up what looked like files from a torn brown bag.

"I'm so sorry," The voice was a woman's, although she did not stop trying to collect all the files.

Allen knelt to see if the woman was alright as Merle and Hitomi saw to Van.

"Are you alright Miss? Here let me help you." As Allen went to pick up one of the files he noticed it had the Zaibach Empire seal on it, the woman was quick to take it from him.

"I'm fine, thank you." The woman stood as Allen was distracted by shouts and calls coming from the direction the woman had come from.

As the shouts became louder the woman ignored the torn bag and some other files and made a run for it, Allen grabbed her by the wrist.

"No please you have to let me go." As the woman pulled against his grip the hood to her cloak fell down, Allen recognised her as the young woman from earlier on.

"You?" As the shock of recognising her hit him, the woman with the black hair and blue dress kicked Allen in the shin releasing his grip.

"Ah! Shit." Allen, even though wearing his large brown boots felt the kick as if he were wearing nothing, there was definitely something odd about her.

"Hey you there, you Okay?" Three men had come up to Van and the others. They were gasping for air and obviously were out of breath.

The three men looked around their mid twenties, all with short dark hair and wore everyday clothes.

"Yer I'm fine, who was that? And who are you? You're not Fanelian." Merle was holding on to Van's arm again as Hitomi held his hand.

"No, we're Zaibach Soldier's," The leading man who was wearing a dark green top took out some identification, and handed it to Van.

"I see, and what are Zaibach Soldiers doing in _my_ Country." The soldiers looked surprised when they realized they were talking to the King.

"Well you see we are after the young lady that we lost."

"She stole some Zaibach files?" Van looked up at Allen who was stood by his side.

"Yes how did you know?" Said another one of the soldiers.

"She dropped them, I noticed the seal." The soldiers looked to one another nervously.

"They are important?" Van asked the prime question.

"Some are yes." The soldiers looked towards each other, bowed and left.

"Hey what's this?" Merle had noticed the torn brown bag; she began prodding it and pulled out a book.

"What you found Merle?" Asked Van.

"It's some sort of Book," Merle looked at the book carefully it was an old looking thing bound in black leather with the seal of Zaibach on the front; she opened it to the fist page. "_Property of Folken Strategos."_

"What was that?" Van grabbed the book off Merle.

He read the first page to himself over and over again.

It was Folken's journal. His brothers' journal.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters.


	4. 3: Painful Memories

A/N: Thanx for all the nice reviews …chapter 3 is a lil inside info on our lil friend the assassin… enjoy

**Chapter 3 Painful Memories.**

The raven haired young woman looked out over the forests for she was sat in a cave some hundred meters above the city, the moons hung in the dark blue night sky like orbs of light, how she loved those moons always lighting the way for lost or troubled souls.

Ri sat close to the small fire she had made in her makeshift home, the plan had gone well, they had the journal.

Ri sighed.

She hated to be alone like this, in the last ten years she had rarely been alone; if it was with other assassins or soldiers, the cat twins Eriya and Naria or even in the accompany of Folken or her next victim; Ri had rarely been this alone.

Ri looked at the pile of flies that they had given her… she had already looked through them, no one she remembered; all failed experiments of the sorcerers. Ri had hoped she would have been able to flick through the pages of Folken's journal herself, seen what her Commander kept from her.

Ri let out a long and lingering sigh, she hated the quiet of night, her mind would drift back to times of hurt and pain for that is really all she had felt.

She rubbed her neck, the amount of times someone's hands had grasped her neck in a vain attempt to save their own pitiful lives as she would twist the dagger in their chests, push it in farther in hope to scrape the heart or pierce an artery. That was her style, to get in close often seducing her victim, earning their trust.

That is where she had gained her name, 'The raven haired Angel of death'. For the poor girl was blessed with the looks of an angle, though many who gazed upon such beauty often turned up dead at dawn.

She shuck off the feeling, memories hurt and those few good ones only led to pain.

Ri stood and walked to the opening of the small cave, she had a good view of the growing city. She hated being in Fanelia, though she loved the country for she truly loved the mountains and the dragons she hated the memories.

Ri had been born in Fanelia a fact kept from many people, her mother had died when she was three years of age, the reason for her mothers' death brought more pain to her heart then anything, her father was a mystery to the assassin, a failure of a man who left his child in the forest to be found by wondering Zaibach spies.

A cold wind blew, the assassin moved back into the caves, why was she thinking of her mothers death now, why was she thinking of her father, the father she hated with a passion.

As Ri looked into the fire she smiled softly, _"so that was Folken's brother?" _she thought to herself, _"I wonder who the blonde was, I haven't been looked at like that in a while, it would have been fun to play a few games with that one. I bet he's a right playboy."_

Ri sat once again by the side of the fire, she hated this solitude. She wished for a piano, the man that took her in had taught her the piano, though she only knew about two songs she had loved to play. The only piano on board the Vione was that in Folken's Chambers, she had often sat and played for the girls whilst Lord Folken was locked away in his laboratory, sometimes she would play for all three of them, Ri had always been welcome to stay with the girls. Eriya and Naria adored Ri; she had trained them and took care of them when ever Lord Folken had been too busy.

The assassin smiled softly, such times were gone now, the people that filled her memories were gone, all she could do was finish the mission and be as free of Zaibach as she could. Living with her painful memories.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters...even tho i got the name from Furuba...thats not a crime they use the same names all the time.


	5. 4: Trouble in Asturia

**A/N:** Hey sorry for the late update again but ive got my GCSE's and maths AS to work on so sorry again... ... i also had a bad case of writers block ... ne way plz enjoy this chappie.

**Chapter 4 Trouble in Asturia.**

_A loud and piercing scream admitted from down the hall, the two young girls sat near by laughed._

"_So he has awoken?" said the one with brown hair._

"_I'd better go do my job then." Said the other, who looked younger than her friend. _

_The younger girl stood picked up some folded clothes, a large set of iron keys and began walking down the long corridor, towards the scream._

_The corridor in which she walked was dark and cold, she could hear the rhythm of her own footsteps, slowly thumping on the stone floor. She reached her destination. _

_The young girl skilfully twisted the keys round so she held the right one to open the door before her, the lock clicked loudly as she turned the key and walked in the room, a blinding light come from the middle of the room._

"_Stupid lights." She said softly to herself, the girl hooked the ring of keys to her belt and pushed a small button by the door. More lights flared allowing the full room to be seen by its occupier._

"_Where am I?" Asked the young boy sat upright on the slab of metal where he had been laid. _

_The girl walked forward, she placed the clothes by his side and held out her hand._

_The young girl smiled at the boy, he was quite handsome with blue-green hair that fell over his eyes. _

"_In a safe place." _

Hitomi woke with a snap. Her breathing harsh.

"What was that…Folken?" Hitomi shared a tent with Merle; she looked over to the young cat-girl still sleeping. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

Hitomi slowly walked out of the small tent she had been placed in, it was close to Vans and Allens and surrounded by soldiers. She walked out into the streets; the tents were set up before dark for those that worked on the buildings and taken down just as dawn broke to start work once again.

"Hitomi…is everything alright." She was greeted by Allen who by the looks of things had been stood outside his own tent.

"Oh yes… I just couldn't sleep is all." Hitomi smiled to reinsure her friend, although her gaze soon turned to her feet, she couldn't get out of her mind the dream she had had. _"…Folken"_

"Did you say something Hitomi?" Hitomi jumped she had not realized she had said her thoughts out loud.

"Oh no-no… I didn't say anything at all I was just… thinking." Allen smiled; he did not believe her although who would, Hitomi had always been a terrible liar.

Hitomi looked up into the mountains, Fanelia was so beautiful it was a shame she had not been able to see more of it before Zaibach had come.

"Hmmm…" Allen had followed Hitomi's gaze but his attention was not drawn to the beauty but the slight smoke trail he was sure he had just seen. Someone was in the mountains.

_Caves_

Ri woke warily she had not realized she had fallen asleep. She turned her view to the smoking fire. She soon panicked if she was spotted she would surely be dead; she hurried to put out the embers which created the slow trail of smoke.

The assassin sat back down and sighed. Dawn would soon be here and the people in the city would wake. Most of the files Ri had collected had been used to flame the fire just encase she was found; but they were of no use now just part of the stringent plan she had made.

Ri packed up her things; she travelled with a small bag though it was long enough to conceal her sword crafted by her sensei, her sword now priceless had been forged by the world known Swords- Master, Master Saki, who had joined Zaibach after his family had been murdered, this had always been at the back of Ri's mind. Her sensei had often talked of his family speaking of how his own daughter would have been the same age as Ri.

Ri took the sword from her bag, she rarely killed with it, swords were a bother having to carry them around. Ri's own sword was the last to be forged by Saki and one of few that remained, it was hard to tell how many swords he had created but he had said that the sword Ri held was by far the best.

_The blade is remarkably thin and incredibly sharp, the sword is perfectly balanced and not even blood can diminish its beauty. _

The Zaibach Assassin quickly replaced her sword and took out a pot of ointment and some more bandages, it was important she saw to her wounds on her hands.

_Tents_

Allen stared up to the mountains, he had definitely seen smoke he was sure of it.

People began to wake from their slumber some even started pulling down their tents… it would soon be Fall and the cold winds would come, there was no chance the city would be completely liveable by winter, and those that had moved back would have it rough.

"Hitomi…Allen I didn't expect to see you up so early." Van had come out of his tent; he looked like he had not slept much.

"Oh… I couldn't sleep." Hitomi smiled, she did not want to tell Van her dream, though she thought she should.

Van looked towards the blonde Knight for his reason for being up so early but his attention was still on the mountains… why was it bothering him so much. Allen had heard Van's question, though he thought that his excuse being he couldn't forget about the woman in the blue dress sounded a little weird.

Allen had been slightly paranoid since his first encounter with the strange woman, the dagger, the bandaged hands, the files were enough to become suspicious, but the Zaibach soldier's reactions to her and that she had managed to bruise his shin through his thick riding boots with only an effortless kick. She was like no woman or soldier he had ever encountered.

"Allen?" Van interrupted his concentration. "Is there something wrong?"

"I just thought I saw something in the mountains…is there still people living up there?" Allen looked back to where he had seen the smoke. Van was about to answer when a soldier came riding up to the three.

"A message for Sir Allen." He handed the message to the Knight. Allen took it from the man, who nodded and left in the direction he had come. It was from the Austrian royal house, Allen quickly opened it.

Hitomi and Van stood wondering what the letter could be about. They watched his expression change as he read the neat handwriting.

Allen closed his eyes, sighed and screwed up the letter.

"Dilandau…"

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters...even tho i got the name from Furuba...thats not a crime they use the same names all the time...ahem jamie ¬¬


	6. 5: The Medicine Woman

A/N: this chapter contains a large spolier so if u aint seen up to around episode 16 then im sorry... oh and sorry for all those people that didnt know folken died ... plz enjoy this chappie.

**Chapter 5 The medicine woman.**

The letter had been from Princess Eries, she had offered to look out for the Knights sister and work on helping her with education and fulfilling 'ladies roles'. Eries had written that concern was growing for Serena's mental state; she was showing signs that the Dragon slayer Dilandau Albatou was not a thing of the past.

Serena had asked about the dragon slayers, even naming some of them; she had also asked about Jajuka and Zaibach. Eries had written that one night Serena had been woken by nightmares of a young boy screaming strapped to a metal table shouting out names which she was sure she knew.

Allen had sent a letter saying he would leave Fanelia as soon as he could, and not to section Serena off like Eries had mentioned encase it made her worse, loneliness was the trigger.

Van had offered to come along to the Castelo Fort as well (the castle on the border of Asturia in which Allen lives), since he did _not_ want Dilandau to reappear, but Allen had said it was not necessary, and that he could handle Dilandau if he did reappear.

Eries suggested that it be best to meet at the castle as it would be faster… it would only be a few days' ride for Allen from the Capital. Van, after talking with several soldiers and men that we in charge of the rebuilding of the Fanelian capital decided he would go to Asturia…things needed to be discussed anyway.

They were to leave a dawn.

_Somewhere nearby._

The lone assassin stood, watching.

_Dilandau…Alive…Could it be?_

This would affect 'The Plan'… or would it… Ri knelt down behind the thick brush, she needed time to think, if what she heard had been true it would have to be reported and the mission changed to suit the new situation. She knew the destination of the blonde Knight and her target, she could easily get there before them for the Cat girl and the girl from the Mystic moon would slow them but perhaps their travelling could be used in her new plan.

Ri smiled.

_So be it…on to plan B._

_Dawn._

Everything was set for the trip to the Castle. Allen was not too pleased that Van had demanded he come, Dilandau had detested Van, and things could turn out for the worst if Serena saw him in her current state.

Allen led the way down the old track; it had been set that they would travel through the forest and not around it keeping to the small road. If they travelled on the main road between the capital and border then they would be a too easy target for bandits or worse.

Travelling through the forest also had its dangers, the land dragons were still wondering and the risks of coming across one was higher than average; also if there were bandits; the trees and thick canopy were perfect cover.

"Van…?" The group being followed by an escort had been travelling for sometime now as it was reaching noon. The trip had gone well so far, the weather was holding and the track was not too over grown.

"Yer Hitomi… What is it?" Hitomi sensed the aggravation in his voice, something was bothering him.

"Nothing… it doesn't matter."

_Somewhere nearby._

The shadows of the trees and thick brushes were perfect cover for the person following the group, she could not think why the group had chosen to go this way, surely they new it would have been risky.

The woman moved swiftly through the trees, her uncertainty of her prays actions would have to be left till later; the horses would pick up her sent and anxiety and the soldiers were trained well.

_This part of the plan must not go wrong._

One thing that annoyed her was the girl. The girl from the mystic moon was travelling with her target. There was no way she could risk a long range attack for hitting the girl. Yet she did not plan on hitting the new king either… things were becoming troublesome.

_Back at the group._

The horse stirred. The blonde Knight looked to his left, he was sure he had seen something in the shadows, though he doubted the feeling… it could have been anything.

One of the soldiers noticed his leaders' behaviour and road to be at his side.

"Is everything all right Sir Allen?"

Allen was about to answer when the ground shuck.

The horses stirred… they were becoming uneasy. The worst was coming.

A land Dragon.

The soldiers unsheathed their swords and moved into a defensive position. All they could do is hope the dragon would not cause too much trouble.

Suddenly the trees parted and three fully grown Land dragons emerged from the darkness. The horses jolted and reared backwards, almost throwing their riders off.

"Still the Horses!" Shouted Allen. The soldiers tried to calm the scared creatures but they too were scared of the danger that surrounded them.

There was no way they would be able to fight three fully grown dragons.

They were all goners.

Suddenly the largest of the dragons moved closer and roared, it looked as if he was about to eat Allen and his horse.

The blue eyed Knight tried in vain to calm the poor creature and get it back under his control but he was beginning to panic, he toohad never faced a dragon.

Gasps came from the group as a woman dressed in blue ran out from the shadows and stood in the dragon's path. The woman had a large bag strapped to her back and instantly the horses stilled.

The young woman stood still staring the dragon in the eye arms out streched, it seemed to calm too like the horses and all three backed off slowly.

The young woman let out a long and deep sigh as she fell to her knees, relieved.

Allen dismounted his horse and walked slowly over to the woman.

"Are you alright Miss?" Allen knelt down and noticed her hands. They were bandaged.

She let out a slight gasp as she realized what was going on and stood quickly.

"I'm…I'm fine thank you." She smiled kindly at the Knight who she figured to be around her age.

"Well we thank you for helping us." Allen answered with a slight nod of the head.

_This is the woman from the city, what is she doing here? _

"Who are you?" Van butted in.

She turned to look at the young king; still at on his horse and smiled.

"Just a healer. Travelling to Asturia."

_A Medicine woman?_

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Mii are my own characters.


	7. 6: An Assassin or two

**A/N: **thanx for the reviews ppl... i will now try and reply to reviews like thru emails n that so if u have any questionsor ne thing then u'll get an answer...plz enjoy this chappie.

**Chapter 6 An Assassin or Two.**

The group now including the 'medicine woman', was only a few hours from the fort. Allen had insisted that the unknown woman travel with them and at least be awarded for her help.

"So what was all that about in Fanelia?" Allen just could not help himself from asking.

"What? Oh. That." The healer held to the back of the saddle of Allen's horse, a hint that she was a common rider of horses. "Nothing, just in a little trouble is all."

Van watched from his position the actions of the woman, he like Allen had become suspicious though it was not her battered hands that bothered the King; it was how she knew how to deal with the dragon, no ordinary healer knew such things. Also her bag. It was not the bag from before, that had torn, this was a bag for carting around swords and such like weapons, he had seen them before used by trainers and Balgus.

"You can hold onto me if you wish," Allen had started a conversation again, he wanted to get as much information out of the woman as possible without being too obvious. "It must hurt you hands holding onto the back of the saddle like that."

"I'm fine." She said, sounding quite protective of herself, "Thank you anyway." She added; changing her tone to sound more grateful.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you're hands bandaged?"

She sifted slightly.

"They were slashed." The young woman said it like a slashing was nothing.

Using a slash as punishment was still heard of in Zaibach, but it was more commonly used in interrogation. Allen was shocked to hear that a medicine woman of all people had been slashed, but her occupation was a matter to question. He knew in the back of his mind she had been lying to them from the beginning.

"I see." He did not know how to answer, but luckily for the blonde Knight the fort was in clear sight.

As the troupe arrived the crew was waiting, with Eries and Serena stood to the side. Allen dismounted as Serena ran up to him.

"Brother!" She shouted as she ran into an embrace.

Van dismounted first and helped Hitomi down, Merle was quick to jump off the back of her horse and take up her usual place, clinging onto Vans arm.

"Brother who is that?" Asked Serena pointing to the woman with raven black hair.

"I'm Ri, Ri Saki." She held out her hand to the Knights younger sister.

Van raised his head.

_That name I've heard it before._

"Any relation to _The _Saki?" Asked Allen, Ri smiled.

"No. None."

The fort was almost completed, though not all the rooms were furnished. Ri and the others had been given rooms, Hitomi sharing with merle…again.

Allen had been talking to Van about Ri and Folken's journal.

Van had decided _not _to read it, something Allen could not understand. Their conversation would have gone on further but Gaddess came in saying that a man requested to see the commander of the fort.

When Allen, (followed by Van) entered the hall he noticed the man looking around. He was about the same height as the Knight, with very long dark red hair tied in ribbon like that of a samurai, he looked only a few years older than Allen and had two swords strapped to his belt one longer than the other. He bowed politely to the Knight Caeli.

"Thank you for seeing me Sir Allen. I heard you just returned from Fanelia, I hope I'm not bothering you." The man had grown his hair over his left side of his face, to what Allen judged was to cover a scar he was sure he had seen.

"No it's no bother, you are?"

"Ah yes. My name is Garf, kind Sir. I owned a dojo south of here, I came wondering if you have heard news of a woman once employed by Zaibach." Well that explained the samurai look, so this Garf was a dojo master, he must be good with the sword to own his own dojo.

"A woman? And why might I ask are you looking for this woman. I don't help with run away girlfriends Mr. Garf." The dojo master laughed.

"She's no _girlfriend_ of mine Sir. She's an Assassin."

_An Assassin!_

Garf grinned. "Yes a Female Assassin, I worked with her for some years though left Zaibach three years ago. I left all my ties to the dark world an Assassin lives in and started up a dojo. I had hoped she would have gone with me but she refused later I hear that she fell (died) during a mission. I never believed it though. A few weeks ago I heard she had been spotted heading for Fanelia and possibly Asturia, and that is what brings me here."

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.


	8. 7: Dilandau Returns

**Chapter 7 Dilandau Returns.**

_Hitomi walked down a long, darkened hall heading towards a light which came from an open door. She slowly walked in; not wanting to disturb the two people inside forgetting completely this was a vision of the past. _

_Hitomi hated how her visions were so real._

_The room was a large hall used for training and such, as swords of all sizes were lined up against the wall. The two people using the room shocked Hitomi. Folken and the girl from her dream in Fanelia. The young girl looked familiar to Hitomi and it wasn't until Hitomi saw the look in her eyes till she realized it was Ri, the Medicine woman._

_The young Folken looked more like his adult self here, and adorned a pair or dark trousers and a waist coat that matched the style Hitomi had seen many a time. The girl however looked remarkably different; she too wore a pair of dark trousers and her long hair was tied up in a pony tail. She wore a black strap top which showed her arms and the tattoo on her shoulder of the Zaibach seal._

_They were fencing Folken using his right arm._

"_You're doing well." Said Ri, with a slight smile. _

"_I was told that control would come easily." The young Folken answered looking down at his own arm. _

_Hitomi moved in the room some more, so she had lied about who she was; just as everyone had first thought._

_Folken raised the sword in a defensive position as Ri charged, he managed to block the attack but Hitomi could tell she was going easy on him. Folken winced as his arm jolted backwards slightly; dropping his sword. _

_Ri backed off as the young Folken grabbed his shoulder; it was obviously causing him pain._

"_You must had damaged it in that last block… let me take a look at it." Ri knelt to be at Folken's level as he too was knelt now. She slipped off his waistcoat to see all of his shoulder and pulled out a small what looked like screwdriver from her back pocket._

"_It looks like a wire had come loose… I can't fix this you will have to see the sorcerers." Folken grabbed her arm as she rose, he looked terrified at the prospect of having to face the sorcerers. _

Hitomi woke from her slumber a little slower this time, not even realizing she had fallen asleep. She ran a hand trough her short, brown hair- a common habit of hers after having such dreams; and sighed.

She could no longer hide that she was having these dreams of Folken's past, not now they involved the Medicine woman. She had to find Van and tell him.

As Hitomi left her room she saw Serena walking towards her talking to Miss Saki who could only be described as wearing men's clothing. Serena smiled and waved to Hitomi as the approached closer.

"You're not a medicine woman are you?" Asked Hitomi noticing the sword hanging from the large belt attached to her oversized brown trousers. The woman also wore what looked like a t-shirt and a medium length coat; certainly nothing the average woman would be seen in on Gaea.

"No I'm not."

"She's a trainer." Serena butted in. "She's _so _amazing Hitomi, she fights and everything; she said that she trained some of the best in Zaibach. I bet she could even beat my brother."

_A trainer? So that was what my dream was about. _

"Come, I better tell your brother that I lied to him." The three began walking towards the main reception area where they had been told Allen was talking to a guest.

_Reception hall/area. _

"A female Assassin, I've never heard of such a thing." Van was sceptic of the samurai's allegations.

"I assure you _boy _there is nothing more deadly then a beautiful woman that kills. She's the best in Zaibach or she was, she's quick and silent and kills without remorse," Garf stopped as he heard the voices of Serena and the others.

Hitomi, Serena and Ri walked into the room noticing all eyes were on them.

"Ri?" Ri gasped as Garf called her name. He took a step forward as she dashed for the door.

Garf took chase throwing a dagger only to be caught and thrown back in a blink of an eye.

"Ri please wait up." Garf's cries were ignored as Ri ran through the castle soon coming to the crowded court yard, she was trapped.

Allen and the others stood facing her; they had known she would sooner or later come to the court yard running around the castle. Ri cursed herself for being so stupid.

"Ri please listen to me." Garf had caught up. The raven haired woman sighed and turned to face her old friend. "Do you know how long it's taken me to find you?" Garf took a step closer but Ri drew her sword and took a step back.

"Don't you _dare _come near me."

Serena had told the others that she claimed to be a trainer and admitted to lying about being a medicine woman, but they had also figured that she lied about being a trainer and was indeed the female assassin the samurai had been looking for.

"Ri I know you've been lying to these people, don't make things worse for yourself."

"I've been lying. What about you, I bet you reeled off that story that you left three years ago. Telling them you left your _'ties to the dark world an Assassin lives'_ all behind."

So they had both been lying, but who was telling the truth now, in the web of lies where did the truth stand.

"I'm sorry Ri but it's the truth now, I have left. I left when I heard you had died. For real this time. They destroyed the Dojo." Ri shifted, she had learnt to read peoples actions and could tell he was telling the truth; but Garf was as good as she. "Please Ri; I know you're only using these people to find Dilandau."

_Dilandau! She's looking for Dilandau, but why._

Allen as well as the others that had been following the conversation was surprised at this statement.

The female assassin sighed and lowered her sword.

"So you knew?" She did not wait for an answer. "Yes it's true I searched for a Knight Caeli in hope of finding Dilandau, but you know more than anyone that he cannot cope on his own. I need to find Dilandau he'll go insane locked up in a jail, or kept anywhere for that matter. I'm the only one that knows how to handle him."

Everyone's attention was on the pair of assassins stood in the centre of the crowd of men that surrounded them, no one noticed Serena trembling.

The young, Knights, sister stood transfixed, she knew the woman, she knew the name Dilandau, it was the name of the boy from her dreams, the name of the voice that talked to her inside her mind. Dilandau was real. She was Dilandau!

"Dil-an-dau?" Serena muttered to herself, "… Jajuka… Miguel… Gatty… Chesta... Ri…" Tears slowly fell as she muttered the names of the people she knew, the people she had known, but not all were dead – this woman stood before her was Ri; and she was alive.

Serena fell to her knees, her head in her hands crying. Ri, who had her back to the girl, heard the sobs. Terrified of what would come next she seethed her sword; turned her back on Garf and ran towards her.

"Serena?" The others had noticed what was happening, though only Allen and Eries had seen the transformation before, from timid Serena to killer Dilandau.

"Serena! Serena!" Ri was on the ground, kneeling in front of her; holding her by the shoulders. "Serena… You have to listen to me… Listen to my voice Serena… You have to fight it Serena."

"I can't." Came the struggled reply. Ri sat back.

It was too late.

Serena screamed as the transformation completed.

Dilandau had won.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.


	9. 8: The Sorcerers Work

**A/N:** Thankyou for the reviews for those people that have reviewed, for those ppl that dont know i only really update when i get about 2 reviews a chapter (unless jamie bugs me to much and i get annoyed) that way i know ppl are reading what im writing and im not just wasting my time putting them on the site. Anyway i hope you all are enjoying this story and i will hope you enjoy this chappie too...Kari

**Chapter 8 The Sorcerers Work.**

The young boy looked up and took in his surroundings, though he did not seem to take much notice of the staring eyes.

"W-Where am I? W-What's going on?" Dilandau's voice trembled.

"Dilandau!" Ri was stood now, her hands in the pockets of the coat she wore.

Dilandau looked up at the woman stood before him.

"Oneechan!"

_What? Sister! _

Ri laughed and knelt, placing a comforting hand on Dilandau's shoulder.

"I haven't heard that in a while." Tears slowly formed in his eyes, as the woman who had been like an elder sister smiled down on him.

"You're alive." Dilandau embraced the assassin, which seemed to take her by surprise; but she just smiled and smoothed down his hair.

"It's alright now Dilandau, I'm here, and I'll never leave you alone again."

Suddenly the young boy fell limp in her arms.

"What happened? What did you do" Allen had had enough of standing by and watching. Ri placed Dilandau softly onto the ground.

"Just a small injection of a weak sedative, to calm him down and let his mind rest." Ri held up her hand which reviled a small device on one of her fingers.

"Now I understand." Garf had walked forward. "You didn't just go looking for any Knight."

"You went looking for Allen." Van had kept a backseat so far, and after witnessing Serena's transformation was horrified. "You knew all along whom Dilandau really was didn't you. What kind of an Assassin are you?" Most of the crowd had gone off though those close to Allen – his direct crew - stayed.

Ri sighed. "I took care of a lot of the sorcerers children. Dilandau was the most successful." She looked down at the unconscious Dilandau-Sama.

"The human experiments." The blonde Knight remembered what Folken had told them about the sorcerers work.

"That doesn't explain anything." Van yelled out, Ri ignored him.

"Dilandau is going to need a room, that is until he is strong enough to leave here with me, naturally it will need a lock; I'm sure you all know about his temper."

Allen nodded and asked one of the men to take Dilandau (who was being carried by Garf) to a room.

"So who are you really? What did you do in Zaibach?" Hitomi asked, according to what she heard this woman was a healer, a trainer, an assassin or connected to the sorcerers of Zaibach.

_Allens study._

They had decided that the mystery woman was to tell them everything; or she would not be taking Dilandau anywhere. Allen had taken them all to his study as Eries arranged transport back to Palas, they would have to go back and report this and Van still needed to see officials about Fanelia.

Allens study was one of few rooms fully furnished and looking like it did before Zaibach destroyed everything. Everyone was sat apart from Ri who stood with her back to them all looking out the large windows. Garf was guarding Dilandau as he slept.

"My name is Ri Saki, when I was young my parents died, and I was later found by Zaibach. I was taken in by the great swords-master, where they trained me to become an assassin.

"During my training I helped out the sorcerers by taking care of the children they brought in, one day it was Serena, who as you all know was turned into Dilandau.

"I made a promise to Jajuka that I would take care of the child, and look over him like an elder sister. I became an assassin at the age of twelve although spent my first few years training others and learning a little medicine.

"And that's basically everything; I watched over Dilandau; trained him in the way of the sword and helped when things went a little wrong with him." Ri turned to face the others.

She stood with her arms crossed, looking quite annoyed with those who kept her there. She had no choice but to do as they asked of her, for her future lay in their hands. She had admitted being a wanted criminal by Zaibach for high treason and they could easily hand her in.

Allen Stood.

"Well that clears things up a bit, but." He paused. "You still cannot take Dilandau." Ri laughed scornfully.

"You really think there's a hells chance in seeing your beloved little sister again, _Knight_?" Ri's tone had completely changed; her words were harsh and mocking.

Allen looked away from her, defeated. He knew in his heart that there was now little chance of Serena returning but he did not want to admit it.

"The Sorcerers believed they could change someone's fate…" Ri hesitated as she looked for the words, "…by changing who they were, what they were. In Serena's case they went to the extremes."

Allen turned to look at the assassin again; her eyes were full of so much sorrow.

Van also listened carefully, perhaps if he understood the circumstances the loathing he had for Dilandau would lessen, although only time would be able to tell and they had the entire trip to Palas to see.

**A/N:** Please review...flames are always welcome... well as long as u support your flame

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.


	10. 9: A Fools Game

**A/N:** This was a fast update this time since i had this chapter wrote by time i got 2 reviews... please enjoy since i like this chapter a lot myself

**Chapter 9 "A Fools game."**

_Hitomi found herself staring at a 19 year old Folken sat in his private chambers writing at the large, dark, wooden desk. He was distracted from his work by a knock on the door._

_Folken lay down his pen and slowly rose, walking to the side of the grand table._

"_Enter." He said in an all too familiar tone._

_The door opened slowly as Ri walked in, she closed the door and stood slightly to the side. Ri stood in the stance of all soldiers when called before their superior – up straight hands behind the back._

"_You asked to see me Lord Folken?" Folken smiled slightly._

"_Yes… You leave for your first mission in a few days I believe?" He walked closer to the young assassin._

"_Yes Lord Folken."_

"_Please call me Folken…" Ri lowered her gaze. Folken now stood only inches away from her. The once prince of Fanelia placed a warm and gentle hand on her cheek slowly moving her head so she looked him in the eye._

"_Then I wish you the best of luck." Said Folken in an almost whisper._

_Ri's eyes widened and her body tensed as Folken lent in to kiss her. Ri was stood right up against the wall her palms touching the cool wood which lined the lower half of the study. As their lips touched Ri held her breath from shear shock, never had she been kissed before. _

_Hitomi watched as Folken stepped back allowing Ri's body to relax, Folken's hand still resting on the pale cheek of the very surprised assassin. He slowly moved his thumb across her lips as she stood there staring straight at the young sorcerer._

"_Take care." He whispered. Folken smiled and walked back to his desk._

_Ri stood watching him as he sat back at his desk and continued his work. _

"_Erm…" Folken looked up at the blushing young woman, "why… why did you?" Ri bit her lip, her gaze was turned to the floor as the sorcerer's eyes examined her actions. _

_There came another Knock on the door, though this time they waited for no answer and entered taking a step back as they noticed Ri stood in the room. _

_The young man that had entered was none other then Garf, Hitomi noticed he did not adorn the scar on his face._

"_Ri!" exclaimed the very surprised assassin._

"_Is there something I can help you with?" Folken was still sat at his desk, from his voice Hitomi could tell he knew the man, and was annoyed with him for entering._

"_Yes… I was told that I had to inform you that I; would be Ri-Sama's escort on this mission, considering her age and everything it is necessary that she have one." _

_Hitomi saw how Garf looked at Folken, there was something between them that created friction; she figured that Folken was not Garf's superior and that he was aware of Folken's feelings towards Ri and that he did not approve. _

Hitomi lay on her small bed, in the small cabin room on the temporary crusade ship (since the other one suffered a lot of damage) thinking of the dream she had had.

She was going to tell Van about the dreams whilst they were still at the castle but with everything that had happened, it had slipped her mind. Now it would be harder to explain.

Hitomi sat up and made her way out of the small room; she stood at her door considering which direction to go in as she had forgotten which way led to Van's room. She looked down the right; then the left, she remembered that Dilandau, Garf's and R's rooms were to the left and made a guess that his was in that direction also.

As she walked down the hall she heard voices coming from one of the rooms, the door was partly open so she peered inside. In the room she noticed Ri was sat down, Garf stood leaning against the wall.

"It's been along time Ri; I see you haven't changed much apart from the haircut." From the sounds of things they had just started the conversation.

"Yes. Do you like it?" Ri stood and advanced towards her fellow assassin. "Of course you do, I bet you love it, just like you love me." She was closer to Garf now as he stood against the wall his eyes focused on Ri.

Ri rested her head on Garf's chest as he held her in his arms; Hitomi had not noticed how tall Garf was before. The female assassin pulled back slightly and laid a gentle kiss upon his lips. Hitomi saw how Ri slowly ran her hand down his side moving towards his pocket, as she released the kiss she pulled out a key and held it clearly in her hand to show him what she had done.

"Someone needs to be keeping an eye on Young Dilandau." She said with a smirk, she turned to head out of the door, Hitomi just managing to move without being seen.

Before she left she said one more thing, "It's nice to see you haven't changed either Garf. Still playing A Fools Game." With that she left the room walking into Hitomi, she stopped for a second and shot her a cold glance, then walked down the hall to Dilandau's room. Hitomi watched Ri until she had the strange feeling someone was stood behind her, she turned slowly and jumped slightly when she saw Garf looking down at her.

"How long were you stood at the door?" He asked plainly.

"Erm… I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Garf smiled and shook his head, just like a caring father thinking his wronged child was hopeless.

He had his hands in his front pockets as he strolled back into the room, to sit down in front of a bottle of wine; he casually poured himself a glass and rested his feet on the table.

"Is there something you wanted?" He asked Hitomi who was still stood in the door way watching.

"Huh? Oh! Erm… What did Saki-san mean by _'A Fools Game'_ I didn't quite understand." Hitomi walked slightly more into the room, and then sat down beside the red-haired assassin; he offered her a glass of the wine he was drinking as he poured himself another drink.

Hitomi shook her head. "_'A Fools Game' _is what Ri calls love," He downed the drink in one gulp. "She says love is a game that it doesn't mean anything." He sat forward in his chair. "She can seduce any man, and ultimately 'Fool' them into believing that she loves them in return. She's probably going to try it out on that Schezar guy; he's just the right type."

"So you're in love with Saki-san? And she doesn't love you, but I saw her kiss you; how can she kiss someone like that and not love them?" Hitomi thought back to her own kiss, her first kiss from Allen; it had meant something between then but it wasn't love, she loved Van perhaps it was the same for them.

"Forget what ever you're thinking Ri only cares for herself and the kid." By kid he must have meant Dilandau as they were a good six to eight years apart.

Hitomi noticed how sad Garf seemed as he talked; she thought it must pain him so much to know that Ri was only playing with him, like his heart was nothing but a toy.

"You know, I haven't known Saki-san for very long and I don't really understand your relationship with her but, I think she must care about you in some way or else she wouldn't bother playing these mind games with you. She would just ignore you." Hitomi looked up to find that Garf was actually listening to her but he soon scowled at her and went to leave to room.

"She does it because it entertains her; and occupies her time." He stopped as he reached the door way. "Oh! And by the way I wouldn't call her Saki-san if I were you. She hates it; and you haven't made a good name for yourself eavesdropping on our conversation."

"I was only trying to help." Hitomi mumbled, but he had gone.

Hitomi managed to locate Van in the end and was about to tell him about the dreams, but they were interrupted as the ship flew over the Chatal Mountains and the capital came into sight.

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.


	11. 10: Newcomers to Palas

**A/N;** Konnichiwa and Arigato for all the reviews...this chapter contains Allen abuse so gomen to any Allen fans, n im sooo sorry for this very late update ive been ill n had writers block.

**Chapter 10 Newcomers to Palas.**

"What the hell? No way!" Ri was stood arguing with some guards that had come to the port. They had demanded that _all _bags be searched and Ri was refusing, Allen had tried to help by stating that she was with him but the guards would hear nothing of it.

"I'm sorry Sir Allen, orders are orders. We have been told to search all the bags of newcomers to Palas no matter who they are travelling with." Garf emerged from the ship to see what all the commotion was.

"What's going on officer?" The Guard looked Garf up and down; he must have been a sight for the guards, dressed in such unusual clothing even for Palas. He had changed from the traditional samurais outfit into a black t-shirt and what Hitomi could swear were jeans, he wore quite large boots that looked like they could easily do some damage to some poor, unfortunate persons face.

"We-we must search all bags S-Sir." The young guard who had been strong against Ri was now stuttering in front of the new stranger.

"Oh you mean this bag?" He took the back off Ri, "well I can tell you what is in this bag. Some of her clothes, some of my clothes, medicine, a few swords and daggers." The guard was shocked to hear him say he was carrying weapons. Garf continued, "I'm a dojo master you see, I have my papers right here." Garf handed some neatly tied up folds of paper to the guard. The guard looked from the papers to Ri then Garf.

"I'm sorry you should have said you had papers." The guard handed back the papers to Garf who smiled and said it was not a problem. "I never took you as an outlander, though I should have known with the clothes you wear." This comment was directed at Ri for she was still wearing her trousers and long jacket, which was not the tradition in Asturia and the surrounding countries.

Hitomi did not understand what he meant by _'outlander'_ she had never heard of the term before.

The guards slowly returned back down the road to Palas as a carriage made its way up the twisting road. It came to a halt.

"Sister!" Millerna flung open the door and jumped out the carriage to great her sister.

"Who's that?" Ri asked, though she believed she had an idea. Ri knew very little about the Royal House of Asturia.

Ri instantly disliked her.

"Allen it's so nice to see you, Eries did not mention you would be travelling with her." Millerna held out her hand, Allen bowed and kissed the Queen-to-be in the common manner.

Ri now disliked her even more, she hated woman that threw themselves at men and spent all their time on their looks and stupid things that were of no use in the _'real'_ world, and she hated princesses.

"Yes I realized but some things came up and I had to come." Millerna noticed Ri and Graf talking in the background although Ri had turned her back.

"Allen who are those two men? I haven't seen them before are they new crew members?"

Ri's eye twitched.

_Men! _

Ri holding back her anger at being mistaken for a man turned round to face the Princess.

"Oh my. I'm so sorry Miss." Millerna realized her mistake. "It's just I saw you wearing such clothes and thought you a man, I don't think I'm aware of a country which women wear clothes like that." Garf realized Ri's fuse was burning she had been insulted by a clueless, blonde, Princess and was bound to say something back or worse.

Just as Ri stepped forward Garf stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Princess Millerna it is an honour to meet you," Garf bowed politely; Allen noticed that Ri rolled her eyes indicating he was putting on an act and was never this polite. "Please forgive her rudeness, we are outlanders."

_He used that term again._

"She wears these clothes as she assists me in my teaching, I am a dojo master." Millerna looked like she finally understood.

"Oh of course, so you two are a couple?"

Ri's eye twitched again.

_A couple! _

"That's correct. This is my wife." Everyone turned to look at the four stood talking. Ri was stood stark still as Garf placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Why you bastard!" Ri yelled as she punched him squarely in the jaw causing him to fall to his feet. "What the hell of a sick joke you pulling?" The now angered assassin reached for her sword; luckily Allen managed to grab her wrist although she pulled away and punched him with the same amount of force straight in the nose.

Millerna gasped as blood streamed from his nose.

"Allen! Why you bitch after everything he has done for you." Van made a big mistake by yelling at her and he realized it when she faced him - eyes burning.

"What did you say?" Van cowered at the sight.

_Oh man what am I doing? She's going to kill me for sure. _

"BOSS!" Gaddess came running out the ship; he was stunned to see Allen with a blood soaked cloth to his face. Ri had broken his nose. "Erm… He's awake Sir… He's out of his room and running crazy, but he's got a sword!"

_A sword!_

Ri's attention was no longer on Van but the terrible words which had been spoken.

Everyone had thought Dilandau would wake during the trip but to their knowledge he had not, Ri had in-fact planed it that way, but he had woken too soon.

A few moments later Dilandau ran out of the door wielding a large samurai sword. Ri glared at Garf – it was his sword.

"What? That's Dilandau Albatou. But how?" Millerna knew of Dilandau but knew little of his true identity.

Men surrounded the terrified boy, as he swung the sword furiously.

Ri was not in the mood to deal with such problems.

The assassin barged through the crowd of men and stood with her hands on her hips; Dilandau had his back to her and had not noticed.

"Albatou!" Ri's voice was harsh once again, as well as quiet frightening. "What do think you are doing? We are guests in this country and here you are swinging a sword around." Dilandau who was now facing her, looked as if he was calmer.

Hitomi could tell he was not back to his old self, the old Dilandau would most likely not have stopped; or would have shouted some insults back at being spoken to in such manner.

Ri took the sword off of the Ex-Dragon Slayer, and pointed it towards Garf.

"And what do you think you were doing leaving _this_ laying around." Ri also scolded Garf.

"Erm… Allen?" Millerna was somewhat confused by the matter. "Who are they?"

Allen sighed, his nose had stopped bleeding but it was most defiantly broken.

"Well Princess, to tell the truth they are both Ex-Assassins from the Zaibach Empire. She came along to help control Dilandau, that's the reason I came; I need to talk with the council members about allowing her at least stay in Palas."

Hitomi looked up at Van; he was not happy, she could tell, but how could she tell him about the dreams now? Van had looked so scared when Ri turned on him, and now she was not sure if she was still the same person. The dreams looked like so many years ago and people change.

_Van has enough to deal with, perhaps I should ignore them._

Hitomi looked back at the three newcomers to Palas, Ri was arguing with Garf violently whilst Dilandau sat (yes that's correct sat) quietly most probably thinking things through.

_Well if anything things are going to be interesting with those three around_.

A/N: Sorry again for the late update... plz review


	12. 11: Conversation on the roof

**A/N:** i am sooo sorry for this very late update but ive got my exams and its been all coursework n stuff...ne way i hope u enjoy this chappie alot happenis in it so thats y its taken forever to write

**Chapter 11 Conversation on the roof. **

_Hitomi realised she was dreaming again, she found herself in Folken's private chambers again which consisted of a small study leading off to a bedroom then bathroom. _

_The bedroom door slowly opened as Ri walked out, Hitomi saw she was fully dressed though her hair was down. It was longer than what it was now; which agreed with what she had heard before, that the assassin had had it cut. She slowly walked across the small study and unlocked the door leading out to the maze of hallways. She took one last look back towards the bedroom, then walked to the desk Hitomi had seen previously, she wrote something on a small piece of paper then left making sure not to slam the door. _

_A few moments later curious of what Ri had wrote Hitomi walked over to the desk. Just as she reached it the bedroom door swung open, Hitomi jumped considerably and cursed herself for being so stupid, this was the past._

_The one who had opened the door was Folken, no surprise there; these were his rooms after all, although his attire was one Hitomi had never seen him in before. All he wore was a simple robe, like one you would wear at a bathhouse. _

_Folken scanned the room, sighing as he read the time on the clock, it was four in the morning. He walked over to his desk half expecting something to be there and was not surprised when he found the hurried note from Ri. _

_The note read, "Have training with Garf."_

_Folken sighed, screwed up the note and threw it on the currently burning fire; he then returned to the bedroom._

_The scene slowly faded as the sound of the crackling fire changed to clashing swords. She turned and found herself in a small room used for training. _

_Garf and Ri were sparring. _

_Ri had just blocked an attack and Garf was trying hard to force his sword to the side which would enable him to rid Ri of her sword leaving her defenceless. _

_He managed this with a skill Hitomi had not seen before. The female assassin's sword went skidding across the room, as Garf advanced to end their duel. _

_Ri fell backwards and pulled Graf down with her, grabbing him by the wrist which held his sword. Garf used his free hand to stop him from head-butting Ri, but as Hitomi saw this was a grave mistake; Ri was left with a free hand and soon a dagger was at his neck, Ri had won._

_Ri removed the dagger from his neck and loosened her grip on his wrist; this too was a mistake as Garf in return held her wrists and forced them above her head where she was unable to reach anymore concealed weapons, now he was in control. _

_Garf leaned in to kiss her but Ri turned her head._

"_Ri what's the matter? You've been acting strangely all morning." Garf still held her down. _

"_It's nothing. Let me up." Garf let her go and stood, Ri stood and walked across the room to retrieve her sword._

"_It's him isn't it?" Garf sheathed his sword; Hitomi had never heard him so serious._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_I went to your room last night. You weren't there." Hitomi could tell Garf was becoming steadily more angry; he clutched his sword tightly as Ri replaced hers to the rack._

"_I was with the girls." Garf scowled - he knew she was lying. Ri turned to face her angered comrade and was caught off guard as he pushed her against the wall, his sheathed sword pressing against her neck._

"_Don't lie. I know you were with him." Ri looked truly terrified as Garf pressed the sword against her neck harder, her feet were off the ground and she fought for air. Hitomi was shocked to see he had such a temper. Garf's face softened slightly. "You slept with him didn't you?" He laughed, and released Ri, she sat up against the wall taking in deep breaths and rubbing her neck._

"_What's going on?" Folken had entered the room._

_Garf placed the sword on the rack and headed for the door. He glared at Folken with such hate and resentment, Hitomi worried that something bad was going to happen._

"_You touch her again and I'll finish what that dragon started." He said with a sharp icy tone. _

_Folken glared back._

Hitomi woke with a start; she could ignore the dreams no longer.

Hitomi walked through the halls of the palace thinking aloud.

"What am I going to do? I can't tell Van that. But I can hardly keep it from him. But then again I don't even know if what I'm dreaming is the truth. I don't even know why I'm having these dreams. I should have told him from the first one. How am I going to tell him they were lovers?"

"Who were lovers?" Hitomi yelped and spun round, Ri was stood behind her Dilandau at her side.

"Was I thinking out loud?" Hitomi silently cursed herself.

"Erm yea… Man you're weird." Dilandau answered sarcastically. Ri gave him a slight nudge. "I mean… that's not weird, just odd I guess." Hitomi laughed it was clear that Dilandau was back to his old self but kept on a short leash by Ri. Dilandau scowled, he hated being laughed at but he controlled his anger.

"Is something bothering you Kanzaki?" Ri asked kindly, Hitomi really found it hard to think her a merciless killer at times.

"Oh no not really." Hitomi noticed a flicker in Ri's eye; she had forgotten that the woman stood before her was very talented and would have known instantly that she was lying. "You wouldn't know where I can find Van do you?" Dilandau turned his head to look out the window; Hitomi reckoned he still disliked the Fanelian king for scaring his face.

"I believe he is with Schezar and a few council members, talking about Fanelia no doubt." Hitomi sighed. "Well you know where to find me." Ri walked off down the hall talking to Dilandau about his manners, Hitomi was alone again in the hall.

When Hitomi had found the room in which Van was talking she was unable to go in so sat waiting for an hour or so until she became increasingly bored, in the end she thought she would go to the small open roof to get some air.

Hitomi walked up the winding stairs remembering the last time she had walked these steps, the last time she had saw Millerna and Allen together this time the only person stood on the roof was Dilandau… Alone.

"Oh it's just you." Said the pyro on laying eyes on Hitomi.

"What do you mean by that, you don't have to be so rude you know?" For a second Hitomi had forgotten who she was talking to. Dilandau was a heartless killer who had tried to kill her and Van and just about everyone else for that matter, but then he was harmless now.

"I was worried encase it was someone _important_. I'm not supposed to be up here, alone that is." Hitomi noticed the tone in his voice he was angry at her for talking back but he still was being rude; making out Hitomi was no one who would get him in trouble and for him to worry about.

"Well perhaps I should go get someone." Hitomi turned to make her way back down the stairs.

"Wait." Hitomi stopped she heard the desperation in his voice, "Look I'm sorry Okay, just don't tell Ri please, she's still angry with Garf and I don't want to get in any trouble." Hitomi decided she wouldn't tell on Dilandau and walked out to look at the night sky and the city below.

"So Garf-San is supposed to be watching you then?" Dilandau nodded. "He seems like a nice man, I doubt he would get into too much trouble." Hitomi noticed how shocked Dilandau looked.

"Are you kidding? Ri-Sama's the worst when it comes to punishments, you should have seen her back in Zaibach no one got in her way, not even those who out ranked her." Dilandau came alive as he spoke of his memories Hitomi had never seen him like this; she never even dreamed he was like this. The person stood before her was completely different to the Dilandau she had known during the Great War.

"Ri-Sama is really amazing, did you know she became an Assassin at the age of 12, not even Garf could match her skills back then, I bet if she fought hard she would still be able to beat him." Hitomi noticed that Dilandau's eyes filled with sorrow and hurt.

"What do you mean, has Garf-san been training hard?" Dilandau shuck his head.

"Ri-Sama was seriously injured three years ago, she never really trained since then because of her injuries, Garf also left Zaibach around that time I think it hit her hard." Hitomi thought about what he could mean, Ri-san did not seem to have been seriously injured, though it could be easily hidden she thought.

"I see. What happened?" Dilandau turned away, Hitomi realized he was acting out of character and that he must have just realized too.

"I-I can't talk about it, it's not my place to say." Dilandau made his way back to the steps.

"There you are." Ri was stood in the arch way, she did not look angry but still Dilandau was not happy to see her. "So this is where you've been." Ri noticed Hitomi. "Oh! Kanzaki-san what a surprise, I hope Dilandau hasn't been any trouble?" The young assassin smiled, she had such a warm smile but then; to a trained eye one could tell that she was always filled with sorrow and pain, that her smiles were part of her acting skills nothing more.

Dilandau growled in irritation, he hated how Ri treated him like a child.

"What's the matter 'Little Dilly-Sama'" Dilandau's eyes widened at hearing his old and most embarrassing nickname.

"What? How dare you call me by that name… Do you know how embarrassing that is?" Ri laughed.

"Awww is 'Little Dilly-Sama' upset," Hitomi noticed how annoyed Dilandau was becoming but found it hard not to laugh, it was as if Dilandau was a whole new person.

_They really are like family, Ri the elder sister always annoying the younger brother._

Hitomi smiled, she had missed her family dearly whilst on Gaea and seeing Ri and Dilandau made her reconsider her thoughts on staying in Gaea.

Ri's laughter soon stopped as they heard footsteps and shouting coming from the stairway. Ri placed a hand oh her belt and cursed as she remembered her sword was still with the royal guard (they took her sword earlier on because of her being an ex-assassin and all).

"Someone's coming. Don't get in the way you two." Ri removed a small dagger that flipped open from her boot, and stood ready for the person running to face her.

He soon appeared, his face was covered by cloth and only his eyes could be seen. The man carried an unsheathed sword in his hands and one on his back.

"Who are you?" Ri questioned though she knew she was unlikely to get an answer.

Ri knew an assassin when she saw one and this one was very talented to carry two swords meant you could fight with both at once; she would stand no chance with just the daggers she held.

More shouts came from the stairs; the fleeing man had no time to fight and Ri was in no position to so she did the only thing she could and stood down.

The man nodded he understood why, he knew that she was not going to risk her life.

He ran off over the roof tops.

"What are you doing he's getting away?" Hitomi yelled.

"Don't yell at Ri-Sama." Dilandau sounded harsh and his tone scared Hitomi, "She did what anyone in her situation would, rule one of living 'don't fight if you don't have to.'"

"What's going on?" Guards had reached the roof and lost their target.

"Lord Van has been attacked."

A/N: sorry for the cliffie ... n btw i have no idea wen the next chappie will be up ... i no thats so mean of me plz review

Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.


	13. 12: Second Scar

**A/N:** Hello everyone, im not sure if this is a late update or not but ne way ... this is the longest chappie so far so soz to ne ppl that dont like reading long chappies...please review and tell me what you think of the story so far coz its nearly finished ... i know how time flys...flames are always welocme

**Chapter 12 Second Scar.**

"What? Van's been attacked? Is he okay?" Hitomi could not believe her ears.

_It must have been that man, the one that Ri allowed to escape. _

In that instant Hitomi hated Ri, if van was seriously hurt she would never forgive her she thought.

"Where is he?" Ri asked calmly, her dagger hidden from the guard's sight.

"In the conference room." Ri nodded and ran down the twisting stairs taking the steps two at a time, Hitomi and Dilandau followed although Dilandau was at a much slower pace; what did he care if Van was injured or not.

Ri soon made it to the conference room she had been there earlier and knew the way. The room was full of soldiers, as she walked in she noticed Allen stood against the wall his arms crossed. Ri tired not to smirk as she saw him stood there a band across his badly bruised nose and his eyes slightly black, she still had not apologised for hitting him so hard.

Van was sat on a chair, a patch over his cheek. The crowd parted as she walked up to him.

Hitomi entered the room just as Ri ripped the patch off the kings' face. Van winced as a few guards gasped.

"What do you think you're doing?" Asked Millerna. "I've just seen to that."

Ri ignored the princess as she looked at the cut that ran across his left cheek. Van watched as her face changed expression, she recognised the cut.

"Hey what's going on?" Garf entered the room. Van saw how angry Ri became when she heard her old comrades voice.

The Ex-assassin turned to face him, her eyes cold and hardened again; some of the guards backed off.

"Somehow I think I'm in trouble." Those were the wrong words to choose.

"Oh you're in trouble alright, where were you?" Any minute now she would begin shouting at him everyone thought, any minute now.

"I had to go out, some important news reached me." He answered innocently.

"Oh you had to go out…well that's a great excuse." Ri stepped aside so Garf could see Vans face. Hitomi and Merle were by his side.

"Is that…?" Garf's expression changed he now knew he would not be able to talk his way out of this one.

"Yes, _'The three scars technique'_. Lord Van is good enough a dead man and ITS ALL YOUR BLEEDING FAULT, YOU AND YOUR CONSTANT SLACKING. IF YOU JUST DID YOUR JOB FOR ONCE, YOU STUPID, STUPID MAN!"

Everyone stood stunned as she shouted at him. In Asturia and just about everywhere else for that matter women did not shout at men, they hardly raised their voices to them. A woman would never call a man stupid. This was a mans world where the women stayed at home and cooked or cleaned and took care of children.

Garf looked angry at being shouted at in front of people like that. "Well I am sorry." He said sarcastically, "I had no idea it was my job to protect royalty. I thought it was these guys' jobs." He indicated to the soldiers in the room.

Ri glared at her friend then dragged him out of the room.

After things died down a little, that is after Millerna re-covered Vans wound, Ri argued with Garf some more; this time in the room given to Dilandau and Merle and Hitomi fussed over Van asking if he was alright Ri finally managed to get some time to herself, on the roof top the only quiet place in the palace.

"There you are Ri-san." Ri sighed her quiet was over. She looked towards the person who had disturbed her. It was Allen, "I've been looking for you I believe this is yours." Allen held up her sword.

"Oh thanks," Ri took her sword back and returned it to its rightful place on her belt. "Look Schezar, I'm sorry, about your face I mean. I don't think I've apologised yet." Allen smiled.

"Thank you, though somehow I think I deserved it, I was awfully rude to you Ri-san I should never had judged you." Ri had a look that said 'I am not impressed' on her face.

"Do you ever act like a normal person? Come on I know you're just dying to say that you hate me for hitting you in your pretty face and that you get embarrassed every time anyone asks what happened and it's all my fault."

"I wouldn't dream of saying such things." Ri's personality confused Allen he had talked to many woman, met many women but none had even been close to Ri.

She laughed.

"Yeah like I believe you; let me guess it's because I'm a woman right? Look! The thing I hate most is being treated differently compared to men. I can do anything a man can sometimes better; I've lived my whole life surrounded by soldiers, I know what men think." Allen listened, she was indeed different.

"I'm not a soldier. I am a Knight Caeli. We have more manners." Allen said with a slight smile on his face as Ri rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I'm going out tomorrow on the track of the guy that's after Van, I recommend that you keep an eye on Dilandau your self, Garf will most likely run off again."

"You can't go alone, the council members still don't trust you fully and after what happened today they will want someone to accompany you." Ri growled in frustration that's the last thing she wanted, some prim and proper knight following her round. But then it hit her.

"You streetwise Schezar?" Allen was stunned for a moment, hadn't he just said he was a knight and different from soldiers. "I know you weren't a Knight all your life, and I've heard about you Family. Surly you remember something about living on the streets."

Allen frowned. "That was over ten years ago." Ri smiled; finally she had gotten a human response out of the man before her.

"So? You're coming with me, do as I say and don't come dressed like _that_." Ri walked off before Allen could think of a response, though after thinking about it for a while it would be best if he went with her and it would not be good to go looking for assassins dressed like a Knight Caeli especially if they were going around the back streets of Palas. He did not like the idea of being told what to do though.

_Next day _

Allen was in his room just finishing getting ready as there was a knock at the door.

"Enter." He said as he reached for his sword.

"You won't need that." Ri was in the door way, wearing her blue dress she had worn in Fanelia (see chapter 1) and her medium length jacket. "Here." She pulled out a small flip knife from her high-heeled boot. "It looks bad if you carry a sword." Ri pulled back her jacket to show she was not carrying a sword though Allen could clearly see a holder in her jacket, the holder on her thigh and knew for a fact she hid a flip knife in each boot.

"What about that?" He asked pointing to the dagger on her thigh.

"What about it? I'm a woman I'm allowed to carry a weapon, you didn't say anything about it in Fanelia, same here; the guards and Knights just like to look." Ri grinned. She loved to catch guards taking a look at her; it proved that she was still able to pull off stunts like when she was younger, she also had learnt to use perverted soldiers to her advantage, many times had she managed to steel things or kill a victim and gotten away because she smiled sweetly at a passing guard.

"I would hate to think the Knights Caeli behaved in such a manner." Allen put his sword down and hid the knife in his back pocket. Allen wore an old looking pair trousers and a plain white shirt, nothing too fancy.

"Come here you're hopeless." Ri pulled the dark blue ribbon out of her hair, and tied Allen's hair back keeping her eyes fixed on his all the while. "There, much better." Ri stepped back. She had tied his hair in a lose ponytail similar to how he used to have it before Balgus took him in with bangs at the front. "Long hair like that only gets in the way; a normal guy wouldn't have it down. We should be on our way." They left the castle together and walked down the streets of Palas, not once did anyone stare at them.

"So tell me why did everyone think you were dead?" Allen and Ri had been walking in silence for around twenty minutes; the Knight had thought that this time was perfect for getting to know his temporary companion.

"Because all the paper work said I was. Zaibach faked my death, though were so kind as not to tell me." Allen noticed that this angered her, but then it would anger anyone knowing that everyone thought you were dead when you were alive and you could do nothing about it.

"But why would they fake your death? Why not just kill you anyway?" Just as Ri was going to answer a man came barging past knocking Ri off her feet, thankfully Allen caught her.

"I'm-I'm so sorry." The man that had pushed Ri over was about her height with short dark hair, he wore common clothes and a holder for a dagger which was empty. He stood looking at Ri like he had seen a ghost. "Saki?" Ri's eyes widened.

"Zima?" She knew the man, of course she knew the man he had saved her life.

"I cannot believe my eyes… I thought you were dead." Ri smiled.

"Yeah so did everyone else."

"Well I'm so glad to see you. You know I heard from Garf that you were okay after what Ren did-" the man known as Zima was cut short as Ri placed a hand over his mouth, her movements were so fast Allen had not realized she had removed a dagger from some hiding place and had it held to his neck.

"Don't you dare speak his name, or mention what happened then or you will see the same fate he saw." Ri whispered into the now terrified mans ear, he nodded and Ri backed off.

"It was nice to see you Zima, but we have to be on our way." Ri smiled just as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? Who's that? I thought you were with-" He stopped when Ri's smile turned into a glare; he was not to speak anymore.

"He's no one." Ri took Allen by the wrist and dragged him off, their conversation was over.

"Care to explain?" Allen asked as Ri released his wrist from her grip.

"No. Come on we're late." Ri walked faster than before, meeting with that man had aggravated her, but for Allen only left more questions to ask.

After walking down several side streets and coming to three dead ends, Allen gathered she had no or little idea where they were heading.

"Do you even know where you are going?" Allen asked, though he knew it would be unlikely that she would answer since she had ignored him since their meeting with Zima.

"Do you hear that?" Not the response he had wanted but at least she was talking. "It sounds like a horse."

"A horse? Horses are not allowed in this part of Palas the streets are too narrow."

They walked out from the side street and looked in the direction of the commotion, it did sound like a horse but it was hard to tell with the screams of people most likely running to get out of the way.

"Come on lets get out of here." Ri grabbed Allen by the wrist again and dragged him through the people, she slowly began walking faster then faster until the screams became louder and the horse and its rider were in view. "Run!" Ri shouted. Allen began running along with everyone in the street. The Knight turned to look back and was shocked to see the rider aim a Bow and Arrow.

"He's armed." Allen shouted to Ri who looked back and cursed.

"Everyone Get out of the way! Get inside!" Ri shouted warnings as she ran down the crowded small streets of Palas. "We need to get to a wider street." Allen was still slightly behind her and had just managed to doge an arrow.

Now with people out of the way the archer had a better target and the two running now had to doge the very sharp arrows, to make matters worse with a lot of the crowd gone the horse could run faster and they were slowing.

"We can't keep running like this." Just as they turned a corner they saw their chance, they were heading for one of the many channels that ran off the main river.

"Can you swim?" Allen asked turning his head to see Ri's reaction as they were now side-by-side.

"What?" Allen smiled mischievously, took Ri by the hand, then just as they reached the channel he forced her to jump in.

Thankfully there were no passing boats as they jumped the three meters down into the cold river.

Ri soon came to the surface.

The assassin coughed up some river water as her blonde comrade surfaced. "What the fuck gave-" Allen pushed her into the shadow of the wall and covered her mouth as the sound of horse hoofs came to the edge. He only let her go when there was nothing else to hear apart from people going about their business again. "That was _not_ what I had in mind." Allen smiled, he knew it would annoy the ex-assassin to throw her into the river but it worked.

"We have to get going." Ri said looking around for a way out of the river.

"I know 'we're late'" Allen replied.

"No! There's no need now, we have to get back to the palace. I think that man was a decoy." Allen was slightly shocked, though the thought made sense.

"Get Down!" Ri placed a hand on Allens head and pushed him under the water, as an arrow came flying at them. Luckily Allen managed to get a breath of air before she forced him under and dived herself. Allen began swimming to the near by bridge where they would be safe, but saw red in the dark blue of the river. He turned to see Ri snap off an arrow end lodged in her shoulder, she swam as best she could until she reached Allen, then he helped her. They were glad for the air that filled their lungs as they surfaced under the bridge.

"Are you alright." Asked the knight, concern noticeable in his voice.

"I'm fine, come on." She answered; although he knew she was not alright, the arrows were most likely tipped with poison; hopefully the water would wash it out.

Allen helped her swim down the river until they were offered a lift on a small gondolier type boat. Ri insisted that she was fine as she tried to see if the arrow head was removable. She removed one of her gloved which hid the scars on her hands, Allen also noticed slight scars on her wrist that reminded him of shackle scars…she decided to keep the arrow head where it was for the time being.

They hurried as fast as they could back to the palace, but it was difficult being weighed down by the water soaked into their clothes. They decided to go into the palace through the servants' door since some cocky guard might not them through the gates, in the state they were in.

They slowly walked through the kitchens trying not to bother the cooks and maids. Ri opened the door into the hall ways to be greeted by ten armed guards.

"Saki-san by order of the royal guards you are under arrest. Resistance will not be tolerated."

Ri stood with the drawn swords pointing towards her, Allen stood back slightly as Van walked through the crowd of guards to face Ri, a new patch on his check showing the new blood pattern of a second scar.

"You have got to be kidding me?"

A/N: so what do you think? Is Ri somehow behind all of this? Or is someone else after Van's life? ...please review


	14. 13: Temari!

**A/N:** sorry for the very late update but ive been doing my GCSE's and havent had time. Right this is the longest chappie so far but is full of important information and like the whole storyline is reviled (well the half main one if that made any sence?) anyway i hope u enjoy this chappie and please review. Oh and sorry for all the typing n spelling mistakes in the last chappie i was having a bad day. (meanie jeimii nii-chan pointing them all out)

**Chapter 13 Temari!**

"Van please you cannot believe that Ri-San had anything to do with this." Van looked angry all he knew was that someone was after his life at the same time a world known assassin had walked into his life.

"Saki-San, is known around Gaea for her outstanding record of never failing a mission and with little injury, she has managed to infiltrate heavily guarded state homes, and has been hired by each major country including Fanelia to deal with trouble-makers. I knew I recognized the name, such an attack for you I expect is simple, get others to take the suspicion off of you then take the final blow. Even better if your lackeys get captured because you know they won't drop your name." Ri stood holding her shoulder as knights surrounded her.

"But Van why would she do such a thing? She said herself she was looking for Dilandau, she has no motive." Van turned on Allen.

"Allen as a knight I expected you to understand, as my friend I expected you to find reason. But I see now that her skills were underestimated, I see now you have fallen for her charm. Another little talent of yours I believe." Van looked coldly at the assassin now held by two knights, she looked back into his eyes but not with hate like one would expect but with understanding and pity.

"Do not worry for me Allen, the innocent have nothing to fear." She smiled slightly and bowed as a sign of respect.

"Yes do not worry for our little raven Schezar." Ri's blood ran cold as a voice from her past echoed in her mind once again.

"Zephon! What are you doing here?" The man known as Zephon was the same height as Allen with short black hair; his eyes were dark and hard to look into for they felt like they could read your very soul.

"I came here to escort the young lady to her prison cell." Zephon pushed one of the guards out of the way and placed his arm around her shoulders, Ri looked terrified, she stood with her eyes wide, she was shaking. "Long time no see, little raven."

Something was wrong, even Van could tell something was wrong between these two.

"What are you doing here?" Ri asked her voice quiet and shaky.

"Well that would be telling now wouldn't it?" Zephon backed off and allowed the Knights to take her to a _very_ secure prison cell, he followed close behind,

"Van I think something's not right here, the way she acted, it isn't right. I don't trust him. I heard he comes from Zaibach, worked for the interrogation squad." Van though he looked worried ignored what Allen had to say.

"We have to find Garf, I expect he is apart of this too, after all he did have fake papers and has a reputation as good as hers." Van walked off down the hall followed by the remaining knights. Allen sighed then remembered Ri's shoulder – she had been injured, he had best go down to the dungeons and tell Zephon to sort it.

_Dungeons, high security prison cell for those on death row._

Ri grimaced in pain as she struggled against the chains that held her. Her arms were held up by shackles on her writs and her ankles were also chained (the guards had taken off her boots, coat and all visible weapons.) It hurt like hell being suspended as her feet did not reach the floor, and if she struggled too much she hit her head on the wall, she had increased the bleeding from her shoulder too. Zephon walked into the cell.

"Well, Little raven, you can't fight back now can you." He grinned as he drew his sword. "After three years we are finally alone again." Zephon ran his sword down the front of Ri's dress slicing it half. He sheathed his sword and withdrew a dagger, moving slowly he cut the remains of her blue dress so they fell to the floor.

Allen walked down the stairs quietly; he heard Zephon's voice as he walked into the high security section of the dungeons.

"Dear raven, how I hate you. How I have planed what I would do if our paths ever crossed. You were supposed to be humiliated! Your name left in ruins but no! Only Ren was to suffer."

Allen edged in closer, _'Ren'_, it was the same name spoken by Zima.

"Everything _we_ did was to weaken you but though it never showed _I_ know it did, _we_ know it did and that is what gives us pleasure. I still picture it. I still hear your screams. The sound of my slash. Did it scar little raven? Do you have scars in your palms where you dug your nails to take the edge off the pain coursing through your body?"

Allen was sickened by what he was hearing; she had been tortured by this man and by the man called Ren.

"My! My! What is this? Some of the Sorcerers' handy work? Yes I remember hearing the bones crack. Well you deserved it. Poor Ren couldn't even talk in his defence. You see that's why you have this little gag. Those sharp teeth of yours Ri." Zephon laughed. "It was so much fun! Though we should have known Zima wasn't up to it, his face as Ren had is dirty little way with you." Zephon laughed again.

Allen was lent against the wall, his mind doubting Zephon's words. How could anyone do such a thing?

"Though I must say." Zephon carried on, "I was so jealous of Ren, he had all the fun. Trying to pin you down after we unlocked your shackles, but you didn't have to kick him in the face, that only made him angrier, made him a little rougher, perhaps you like it rough."

Allen had heard enough he had to intervene.

Zephon was up close to the suspended Assassin, looking into her eyes. "Should we test that theory?" He whispered running his hand down her body.

"What is going on soldier?" Allen tried to hide his frustration. Zephon froze.

"Just interrogating Sir." Allen noticed the shreds of cloth on the floor; he looked into Ri's eyes which screamed out for help.

"Step away from the prisoner." Allen placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Yeah step away Zephon!" Allen was shocked to see Garf stood beside him.

Zephon grinned and stood to the side, Allen and Garf could not hide the shock on their faces as where once was flesh and bone there was metal. Most of Ri's left side where her ribs would have been was covered in a shaped metal, the bolts and joins running across to her right side, it was not beautiful at all.

"Brilliant isn't it? You can hardly tell even when you hold her close." Garf was not paying attention to Zephon's taunts; he just stood staring into Ri's eyes.

"You?" Allen had heard of her being tortured, the cracking of bones must have been when they broke her ribs; she must have been in unbearable pain. "You did this to her?" Zephon grinned.

"Looks like you've got competition Garf." Allen was stunned 'competition'? "You should not waste your time on her; she 'used' goods if you know what I mean." Garf growled in frustration how dare he speak of Ri like that. Before Allen could stop him Garf had drawn his sword and Zephon had his.

"I am so going to love this I'll kill you, then Schezar… tell those guards you killed him and I killed you after." Zephon let out malicious laughter.

In a different part of the palace Van had returned to his room which was littered with books and papers all to do with the rebuilding of Fanelia, he hated the paperwork; he couldn't see the point in it all; as long as Fanelia was re-built he did not care. Hitomi was stood just outside his door; she knew that Ri was going to be in trouble, that Van thought she was behind the assassination attempts but she thought that if he knew, if Van only knew about Ri and his brother then he would look at Ri differently. She did not want Ri to be punished for something she had not done.

Hitomi knocked on the door, and waited for a reply - she heard none so knocked louder this time she heard a crashing sound and rushed in.

"Van are you alright?" Hitomi saw that his room was in a complete mess, next to the desk there were papers and books laid all over which he must have knocked off.

"I'm sorry Hitomi, I think I fell asleep." Hitomi laughed and walked across to help Van pick up his things. "Hitomi?"

"Yes Van." Hitomi began picking up several sheets of paper.

"Have you heard of someone called 'Temari'." Van looked up at her, "I read some of my brother's journal, he speaks of a woman named Temari but never a last name and no description." Van sounded hurt that nothing had come out of reading parts of the journal. Hitomi carried on helping him clean up. "I- I think he loved her." Hitomi stopped what she was doing. Folken loved a Temari? But what of the visions she had had?

She noticed a few daggers under a pile of papers, they looked familiar but she knew they didn't belong to Van.

Hitomi leaned forward to pick one up, one was unsheathed and she cut herself on the sharp edge.

"_Temari! Temari! Don't run off Temari! Stay near the cart." A woman in her early twenties with long blonde hair was shouting at a child in the road about 100meaters away and just insight. Hitomi looked at the woman, she was very beautiful and walking by what Hitomi thought was her husband, a tall rugged man; quiet handsome also with blonde hair but darker than the woman's. Hitomi looked around they were walking a tree lined path of rough mud; this was a vision something from the past, this Temari could it be the woman Van mentioned only seconds before? _

"_Leave her be Eliza, she knows the road." Said the man with a claming tone._

"_She's four years old, and I heard the others saying the dragons were becoming unpredictable."_

_Hitomi thought that they must be somewhere in Fanelia, she noticed they were travelling with a large group of people some walking some riding in the carts._

"_Don't worry; we have trained men to handle such problems." Said the husband trying to reassure his wife._

_Hitomi looked around the young girl known as Temari had vanished; she saw that the mother noticed this too._

"_Temari!" The mother screamed in panic, "Did she go off the road? Temari!" Eliza screamed her daughter's name. As panic rose throughout the group they heard a piercing scream, everyone turned in its direction as the woman named Eliza ran off her husband following with a band of other armed men. _

_Hitomi followed them as they ran through the forest. Soon they found her stood in front of a fully grown dragon. Eliza gasped as she saw her little daughter stood there, she looked so pale which could only be expected, frozen in place by fear. _

_The dragon roared as the armed men stepped closer in a vain attempt to move the young girl. Hitomi saw how they backed off, the little girl still stood there looking up at the dragon. _

_Then the most peculiar thing happened, the dragon went silent and looked at Temari with its large, yellow eye, Hitomi could see the girls' reflection in it. The dragon blinked then slowly it turned and left. The crowd of armed men cheered as the dragon departed._

"_The dragon saw into the child's heart and spared us all!" Cried one man. But the joy was not among them all, the woman, the mother; Eliza stood shaking her eyes fixed on her daughter. The father Walked up and hugged Temari._

"_What a brave little girl I have." The father picked Temari up and looked towards his wife, "didn't I tell you there was no need to worry darling, let's go back the rest will be sick with worry." _

_The scene faded as they walked off back to the road. _

_Hitomi heard shouting and screaming coming from the forest but when she turned she was stood in a grand room, furnished with expensive furniture with a piano in one corner._

"_She's a demon I tell you!" Screamed the woman being held back by two men which looked like servants. Hitomi noticed it was Eliza and she was being held back from tearing her own daughter apart, her daughter in the safe arms of her father._

"_Eliza please, what has gotten into you? This is our daughter, our beloved daughter who fought off death." Temari was holding onto her father's neck resting her head on his shoulders not looking at her rampaging mother._

"_NO! No! No!" Screamed the mother more loudly and furiously than before. "That is not our daughter I tell you!" _

_The father comforted Temari, stroking her raven hair. Hitomi found herself thinking that was odd since both parents were blonde._

_The woman was dragged off screaming still (by what Hitomi presumed were doctors) to some other part of the large state home they were in._

_A tall woman with dark brown hair entered the room just after, bowed and took Temari from her father. "Some men are here to speak with you Sir Solidari." Said the woman before exiting out some large French doors leading to a garden._

_Three men entered the room as Sir Solidari sat in a large leather chair and sighed. "I am sorry for my wife's display gentlemen, she is unwell." The men bowed. The largest of the three, a man with large brown eyes and thick, black eyebrows stepped forward._

"_Yes we have heard of your wife's illness the King sends his regards." 'The King!' they must be talking of Vans father. So this family were very important in Fanelia. "The King was upset on hearing of your retirement Sir Muraki." Muraki Solidari, so that was this mans name._

"_My retirement was a year past, Sir." Muraki looked up as the men who had dragged his wife away entered the room. "Well! What of my wife's condition?" The two doctors looked awkwardly at the three other men in the room. "You can speak in front of my old comrade's doctors." _

"_Her condition seems to be worsening, this is the second attempt at taking your daughters life is it not?" The three men showed their horror of this news. Muraki stood and walked to the French doors to watch his daughter at play._

"_Yes, she was at the piano, the other time was at night. This is why I had to retire at such an early time Sirs, my daughter is everything to me." The doctors nodded and left. "So men what brings you to my home?" The only one of the three to have talked so far cleared his throat._

"_The King is being pressurised into getting his son betrothed." Muraki laughed._

"_The boy is nine years old, and Temari is only five for Gaea's sake. She won't be able to marry for another ten years. That's if she lives that long."_

_The scene began to change again, this time it was night._

_Hitomi was sat in a carriage opposite Muraki, there was another person in the carriage a tall man all in white._

"_You are doing the right thing Sir Solidari; your wife needs excellent care, and your daughter needs to be able to sleep at night, if news reaches the King that more suffering has befallen your daughter due to the attempted murders, then he may reconsider the engagement." Muraki did not answer he just looked out the window of the carriage, his grand home was coming into view. He looked up to his daughter's window which was at the front of the house as pre-normal on returning home. But all was not normal; her window was open and on a cold night like it was, this was highly irregular. _

_Muraki shot out the carriage before it had time to stop and barged through his home, he took the dark wooden stairs two or three at a time and turned left to the western side of the house, towards his wife's quarters. No one came down these hall ways at night and only his wife's nurse stayed down there. He ran to the end of the hall and to his horror the door to Eliza's room was open! It was never opened at night. _

"_Temari!" Muraki shouted for his daughter as he began running towards her rooms at the other end of the building, other servants heard his shouting and knew what was happening. Lights flared and the entire house was awoken. _

_Hitomi feared the worst, that sweet little girl could have been killed by her own mother. _

_A high pitched scream travelled through the house, but it was not what everyone thought for laid on Temari's bed was Eliza, a daggers hilt at her throat, she had been stabbed so deeply that the blade was not visible. Hitomi recognized the pattern on the hilt it was the dagger which she had cut herself on and started this vision._

_Hitomi felt tears in her eyes, as he heard a child cries, she turned to see Temari sat in a corner her head resting on her knees sobbing softly. _

"_What is your name little one." Said a soft and gentle voice. Temari looked up her cheeks stained with her tears._

"_Temari, Temari Solidari." She replied._

"_Ah! The daughter of the Fanelian Samurai, so you have Samurais' blood. Well then little Temari, I will teach you your bloods right and give you my name, you will forever be known as Saki. Ri Saki." _

_A/N:_ so there u have it. another chappie another secret out in the open kindof... please review n i dont mind creative criticism

Diclamier: I do not own escaflowne but most of the characters in this chappie are mine so blah


	15. 14: Demons!

A/N: Thank you for the reviews... this chapter was never really planed but i put it in anyway... i hope you enjoy it and please take a few mins from ur time to review because a helpful review only makes the story better.

Oh btw in chappie 3 I wrote that Ri's mom died wen she was 3 but in the last chappie it sez she was 6 wen it happened … well im sorry 4 changing it but I did it coz I thought it was unlikely that a 3 year old would be able to kill someone lol … and because I forgot that I wrote that lol … sorry again if that confused anyone.

**Chapter 14 Demons**

Allen only just managed to move out of the way as swords clashed.

"I am so going to kill you." Shouted Garf.

"Yeah I would like to see that." Taunted Zephon as their swords clashed again.

Allen took a blanket off a cot to wrap around the half naked assassin; he also took the gag from her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Ri nodded but Allen could tell her shoulder was hurting her badly, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it round her shoulder to help it, even if it was only slightly.

Garf slashed the air only to miss as Zephon went in close for a jab which was uncommon for the types of sword they fought with, Because of the oddness of the attack Garf only just managed to escape the deadly blow.

"So you going to kill me like you killed Ren? You left him there to bleed to death." Garf was angered by Zephon's need for conversation.

"Only like you left Ri. Hanging in the Grand Hall like a piece of meat." Garf went in for another attack but his anger clouded his judgment.

"Is that all you got. No wonder you were never able to beat Ri in a Duel." Garf laughed.

"Maybe so but I never looked towards uncivilized means to beat her."

"A man must do what he must when against a demon!" Zephon grinned, now he had him. "Oh I've heard the stories. That she's no human. I never believed it till we tortured her, no one could survive a beating like that." Garf noticed Zephon's eyes change as he remembered. "I know you believe it too Garf, you who was so close to her surly you've seen those eyes turn red." Zephon had dropped his guard, and Garf took his chance infuriated by his words he swung his sword.

"No!" Ri screamed out as Graf sliced Zephon's head clean off. Allen was disgusted as Zephon's body fell to the floor. "Why Garf? Why did you have to kill him?" He turned to look at Ri, blood dripping from his sword some slight spray on his body.

"I wouldn't allow him to say such things. He didn't deserve to live, you more then anyone should have wanted him dead." Garf's expression changed he now looked angry at Ri. "Even after everything I did for you after what they did, you still turned to _him! _Well newsflash Ri darling _he's_ dead! I'm the only one that cares about you now; I'm all you have left." Ri smiled though Allen saw that even this was filled with pain he had to get her down.

"I know he's dead I was there, but I have Dilandau." Garf scowled.

"Dilandau! So you choose that kid over me… You choose that brat who isn't even human." Ri turned her gaze from him.

Garf took a deep breath in, sheathed his sword and stood up straight. "Is there another way out of here Schezar?" Allen nodded

"Down the hall, there's another exit. It might be locked." Garf took one last look at Ri; they were most likely never to see each other again from this point on, then stepped over the body of Zephon and ran off down the hall.

"Is everything Okay down there?" Came the voice of a guard who must have heard some of the commotion.

"We need a body collector and the keys for cell 025." Allen shouted back, there was no reply after that, the guard must have thought the prisoner had killed themselves which was not unheard of.

Allen sighed.

"So!" Said Ri moving her body slightly to feel more comfortable. "Don't you want to know about all that?"

"You got a hair pin or something, it's going to take ages to find the keys for this cell and you need to get that shoulder looked at." Ri was taken aback; she had not expected this from Allen.

"There's a pick in the hem of my dress, I thought you couldn't remember much from your days on the streets?" Allen knelt and searched the scraps of the ex-assassins dress he found the pick and began work on the shackles at her ankles.

"Garf seemed to get pretty mad when he called you a demon. Care to explain that?" Ri laughed under her breath.

"It's a long story that I don't wish to repeat. It's hard enough forgetting the memory as it is." Allen glanced up; she was starring at the dead body of Zephon. "I wish he didn't cut his head off, so violent and unnecessary."

"Are you really 'The raven haired angel of death?' You match the profile but no offence I can't imagine someone like you committing all those assassinations. The way you are with Dilandau and just now it's – it's a little unbelievable."

"I only killed those whose deaths brought happiness for others." She answered. "I never killed anyone who would be mourned or missed in any way. I researched my victims carefully and infuriated my commanders when I refused them. I never wanted my victims to suffer much, suffering is for the demons of this world. Although these men – for they were always men- were loan sharks and possibly other assassins that worked for the highest price, they were still human." Allen had finished the shackles on Ri's ankles, he saw the old scars from those years passed. He stood to undo those at her wrists.

"You know, we all have demons within, things we've done that mark us forever; things we can't forget, I bet even you've got a few." Ri looked into Allens eyes, but all he did was smile softly at her.

"I've learnt to accept mine." He said, "I expect yours still haunt you or else you wouldn't have brought up the conversation." Ri couldn't help but laugh.

"So you're not just a pretty face. Is it that obvious? But you're right." Allen saw a great sadness come over her, were her demons that bad?

Ri had become such a complicated person since him knowing her, being a knight Caeli he had heard about the great assassin Ri Saki the adopted daughter of the great Master Saki who had escaped death and hidden in Zaibach, he had heard of her murders that you never realized it was her till it was too late; that her charm was irresistible, and that she could drink a man under the table and still kill him with as much precision.

But now he thought her this complex person who didn't seem to suit the life of an assassin, this woman with demons that haunted her, with a mysterious _'him'_ who could have been a lover which was highly irregular for an assassin, but seemed completely possible for her.

Allen was dragged from his thoughts when Ri closed her eyes and took a very deep breath in.

"Isn't it funny. I hate the sight of another's blood. That's why I kill with a stab wound, less blood. I do wish he hadn't took his head off. He knows I hate it." Allen looked at her confused, the wrist shackles were old and unused and difficult to pick open. "It's how I killed Saki-Sama. Or I supposedly killed him. I don't remember much of the fight, just that when I woke the dojo was covered in blood, there seemed too much for a human to hold. I too was covered." Allen had stopped, was this true? How could it have been true? He had heard that Ri-sans first assassination was around the age of fifteen. How could she have beaten a man who had been training since before she was born. Is this where she gained the reputation of being a demon among the Zaibach soldiers?

"I couldn't wash that horrible substance from my clothes, my hair was sticky with his blood, I have no idea how long I was unconscious. I remember the dojo reeked of blood since then, it had seeped into the wood – the floor, walls, ceiling; it was everywhere."

So these were her demons, the murder of her sensei. Allen could only wonder what that would have been like.

"But don't think me some common murderer, I had to. A fight to the death to see if I was worthy of his name. He intended to kill me so I had to kill him. I knew if I failed he would kill me because of his style; I had learnt all of his techniques in the years he instructed me and I knew when he was serious." Allen heard the locks free themselves, but Ri was not ready for it and fell forwards.

Allen helped her stand right and noticed she was considerably shorter without her high heeled boots.

"I think I would like to see you fight when your serious." He said, complimenting her.

"I don't think you're a match for me." Replied Ri with a playful smile. "I would have to go easy on you, just to give to a shot. I have samurai's blood you see, so I already have the upper hand."

"Your father was a samurai?" Allen seemed quite surprised by this, he had rarely heard of samurai in Zaibach, and all samurai were highly respected and some of the richest people on Gaea.

"Yeah." Allen saw the same sadness come over her as before, he noticed her past caused her much pain to talk about. "My family were very important in Fanelia, my father one of the greatest; or could have been if my mother hadn't gone mad. She tried to kill me for two years, I became terrified of my own mother. I hid a small dagger under my pillow; I never imagined I would use it." Ri brushed the tears from her eyes. "Why is it I am telling you this? I've only every told two people this story and why you?" Ri tried to fight the tears.

"Eliza Solidari! My father mentioned her. I remember my mother saying it was a horrible shame that he lost his wife and daughter in the same night. He adored his daughter if I'm not mistaken?" Ri's hair fell in front of her face as she lowered her head.

These were her true demons, murders she couldn't prevent. Hurting those close to her. Her father had gone to ruin after that night. He could have been great; as great as Balgus but no! She had stopped this. She had taken everything from him. With Master Saki the greatest Samurai on Gaea, whose swords were legendary. She had taken his life too, in a brutal and disgraceful way – she had made a name for herself and ruined his.

She was an angel. The angel of death, deaths which would consume her until she destroyed herself. And she would be buried in the ground, with half the beauty she had only to be forgotten, her pains forgotten though her soul would never be able to rest for she would take these demons with her.

A/N: i know what you are thinking - that i only repeated what was in the last chapter but not really because at the moment only hitomi really knows whats going on because of the visions and she hasn't told anyone about them yet. And dont forget to be nice and review

Disclaimer: i do not own escaflowne... but some characters are my own so please dont take them without asking.


	16. 15: The Assassin and The Prince

**A/N:** YO! Hello everyone... sorry for the very very very very (you get the idea) late update... ive been on hoilday for a week then 2 weeks later went away again ...infact i only came home yesterday ... anyway i hope you enjoy this chappie and i hope the ending makes you go AWWWWW... enjoy

Oh and...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE 10 THIS YEAR!...yeah i know its almost september but i never realized so much time had passed

**Chapter 15 The Assassin and The Prince.**

Hitomi had come out of the vision and told Van what she saw; Van told her that the dagger was one of Ri's that he had been given, to help reassure him all her weapons had been confiscated.

"I remember the name Solidari, Balgus mentioned him. That he was, well could have been one of the three great samurai of Fanelia, but declined because of his wife and daughter, but they were both dead when he told me the tale. No one ever mentioned that Folken was ever betrothed, I guess when news reached she had disappeared they gave up on the idea." Van paused. "You really believe that Saki-San is the lost Temari Solidari?" Hitomi nodded.

"And I also believe that Fate kept your brother and Ri-san together." Van looked confused Hitomi had not told him about the other visions and her idea that they had been lovers. "Oh well, I've been having these kind of visions for a while and in some of them…Your brother and Ri-san… they-they put across the idea that they were lovers." Van stared into Hitomi's eyes; part of him did not want to believe it.

_Dungeons_

Ri's eyes were still focused on the dead body of Zephon as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"So who is he?" Asked Allen breaking the silence, "this _'him'_, the dead man; a lover of yours?" Ri stepped over Zephon's body and began walking out of the cells. "Look I'm sorry I did not mean to be intrusive, it's just he seems important to you that you would decide your life on him, I'm just trying to understand you better."

"We were married, though no one knew, a select few knew of our engagement but after the incident with Ren he realized how fragile life was, that how we – the children of the sorcerers – must value life for it is shortened considerably, even if he had not died in the war he only had about a year to live myself having about three years. Four years together as man and wife is what he wanted."

"I'm so sorry…Dilandau?" Allen did not have to finish his sentence she knew what he wanted to know - how long did Dilandau have also being exposed to the sorcerers experiments.

"I would say two years maybe a little less, it is hard to tell they were surprised he lived this long." Both Ri and Allen were walking down the halls of the dungeons now coming to the stairs when the ex-assassin began to feel light headed; she missed a step and fell back on Allen.

"Ri-san? Ri-san are you alright?" Allen asked as he righted Ri again.

"I'm fine just a little light headed, from the blood loss I guess." But on the next step she fell back again.

"This is not just blood loss." Allen felt Ri's forehead, she was burning up. "You have a fever-" Allen noticed her shoulder was swollen. "Poison?"

"Allen? Saki-san?" Van and Hitomi had walked down the stairs to the dungeons in order to find out the truth. "What happened? Is that a blanket?"

"I haven't got time to explain I think the arrow from earlier was tipped with poison, it's making its way through Ri-san's Blood stream"

Van helped to get Ri to her room and to a bed where they called a doctor; he stitched the wound but said it was up to her to fight the poison, since they had no idea what type of poison was used. Dilandau heard about the attack and the incident in the dungeons and was sat by her side.

"Please don't die Nee-san, please don't leave me again." Allen, Van and Hitomi were stood in the room with him.

"I am sure Ri-san is strong enough to fight this Dilandau, the fact that the poison took this long to have effect shows her strength." Allen tried to be reassuring but to Dilandau the prospects of a close one dying was enough to send him crazy again.

"Dilandau!" Van sounded harsh; he wanted Ri to live but for other reasons, he wanted to know her true name and if she was indeed his brothers' lover. Dilandau raised his eyes to meet Van's. "What is Saki-san's true name? Ri Saki is her given name right?"

Dilandau looked at the unconscious Ri; he replaced the damp cloth resting on her forehead and turned to look at Van again.

"She never told me it but I knew from hearing the older soldiers talk that it was 'Temari Solidari', Garf-san said that she was hand picked by the great Saki-Sama to become an assassin from her blood line. I know the sorcerers showed an interest in her and that any chance they got they would experiment; her very life is all thanks to their experiments. She has escaped death countless of times; she used to say that one day death would catch up to her. 'A solider fights to live and lives to fight' she told me that once, though she was never a common solider…"

"She was an Assassin." Van ended his sentence.

"She was the best!" Dilandau replied.

"I heard of her, everyone knew her name. She would trick her victims to their deaths; charm them with kind words…" Van wanted to get Dilandau angry, he wanted him to shout out that these tales were wrong because she – Ri – had a lover and would never do such things. "I heard she would sleep with her victims and kill the-"

"No! No that's not true!" Van's plan had worked Dilandau was stood his fists clenched, his chair knocked back. "Ri-san never did anything like that; she was not some cheap prostitute. Sure she liked to fool around with their minds but only to prove that they were idiots, she taught the soldiers never to trust a pretty face and she was right to. I saw her once on a mission, I saw how she killed, how she played the man for a fool it was his own stupidity that brought his death upon him, but she _never _slept with them; she would never do that."

"Why!" Van shouted back, "Why didn't she? She had a lover right? Dilandau tell me?" Dilandau had his hands pressed against his ears and his eyes closed tight.

"I promised I would never say!" Van advanced but Allen held his shoulder.

"That's enough Van." Van was angry with Allen for stopping him.

"Why are you stopping me Allen, I have a right to know!"

"It was Folken!" Everyone turned to the bed where Ri was laid.

"Ri-san you're awake!" Dilandau seemed happier now he knew she was in no danger of death.

"How could anyone sleep with this noise?" She said with a painful smile. Her voice was quiet and hard to hear but everyone knew what she had said – her confession.

"So it was true" Van calmed down. "What Hitomi saw was the past." He looked to Hitomi perhaps for forgiveness he had never really believed her.

"What you saw?" Ri questioned, she knew nothing of Hitomi's abilities having been locked up during the war.

"I am usually able to predict the future but sometimes when I come in contact with someone I am able to see their past. With you Ri-san I have seen sections of it. Sections involving Folken, you two were indeed lovers and Dilandau knew." Dilandau dropped his gaze.

"You were married!" Allen butted in, "you said in the dungeons; he died in the war, exposed to the sorcerers' experiments – Folken's arm it allowed him to live longer but he was to die soon anyway."

Ri's eyes welled up with tears.

"He said he loved me and in truth I loved him. Life was perfect up until, Ren. He called me Temari all the time, I was never the Assassin around him; I didn't have to be strong and heartless. I could let my guard down; be myself. I felt safe around him not like when I am around Garf. But things changed he changed after... after what happened." Tears fell slowly down her cheeks as she opened her heart. "Your brother, My Folken became bent on Dornkirk's 'perfect world' he wanted more then anything for it, we lost a lot of our happiness."

"Oh Ri-san…" Hitomi felt tears coming to her eyes again as Dilandau sat beside her on the bed, to offer her comfort, they had forced this out of her all the pain she felt of their failing love.

"We argued all the time, about the experiments and the coming war. I knew Zaibach planed to attack Fanelia; I tried so hard to make him see reason. We argued just before I left for my last mission he must have felt terrible when news reached the Vione I was dead." Dilandau held her hand and she sat up a little.

"He did Ri-san; everyone noticed the change in him." Dilandau stayed with Ri till the night when he had to return to his room (he has a curfew). Van and the others had several things to sort out before the day was over.

There were to be peace talks in Palas involving all the countries of Gaea, a very large and dangerous prospect since there were still people who believed the war was not over and that countries could still be overturned although those people remained in the outlands – the land between countries which are not ruled over and a usual safe haven for criminals.

That night Ri went to her favourite place, the roof terrace. The guards watching her asked that she not but she insisted she was fine. She wore a plain robe and her hair down as she stood looking out at the city in the night.

"Ri-san?" At first Ri thought it was Allen calling her but was surprised when it turned out to be Van; he had never addressed her by her first name before. "You shouldn't be up here," Ri smiled.

"You do not have to worry about me I feel fine, a fever is nothing compared to what I have lived through. You came to see me for a reason?" Van felt like a little kid again when he wanted to ask things of Balgus, although Van was a King and on the outside seemed to dislike Ri; he highly respected her.

"I was… I was wondering what my brother was like, when you knew him. Before the war." Van had skimmed through the Journal but had little time to read it, to be honest he should be sorting more paper work out right about now.

"He was certainly different, from what Dilandau has told me he changed a lot. He was always cold and calm around the soldiers, but Dilandau told me during the war he seemed disconnected from everything else."

"It was a shock to see him alive, during the war. I had grown up thinking he had died fighting the dragon; that he hadn't given up… but" Ri placed a comforting hand on Van's shoulder showing she understood.

"Your bother felt he was in debt to Zaibach, we all did in the beginning - Those who had been saved by their science. We then get involved with it; thinking science is the way forward."

"You believed in it too?" Van asked questioningly.

"I worked for a little time on the Auto-mail limbs, they were something altogether. They allowed your brother to live an almost normal life but there was always a catch. I noticed a pattern in the others, a pattern of illness which always resulted in death; there was nothing we could do to cure them."

"The others?"

"Others with Auto-mail limbs." Ri answered, "I informed your brother and ran some tests but this was years ago and nothing showed, but the tests on myself were different, I tried to hide them from him but I failed." Ri turned away from Vans questioning gaze.

"What did they reveal?"

"Just that they had experimented on me more than I remembered, this was before…" Ri placed her hand on her left side upon the metal beneath her robes - she was dieing even before then, she had lied about her time to live (Allen had told Van about Ri's estimation of hers and Dilandau's life span.)

"How long do you have?"

"Less than Dilandau I think… its hard to calculate."

"You told Allen you had three years?"

"When I was eighteen, four maximum…I was supposed to die first not your brother. Dilandau should be dead now, I don't understand his situation." Ri confessed.

"You're not afraid?" Van though growing up learning the sword had learnt not to fear death but he could not imagine the fear he would feel knowing you were dieing and there was nothing you could do to stop the illness taking over.

Ri turned to face Van again, she looked so sad but beautiful – did his brother ever see this expression?

"A little, I watched as my comrades died of the same thing; I saw the pain they went through. Folken promised he would help me through the pain; that he would stand by me till my last days or up until the illness took him too."

"Then I'll be there for you." Van said with sorrow in his voice. Ri was shocked by Vans offer. "My brother was selfish to leave you like that." Ri laughed and placed her hands on Vans shoulders.

"I left him." She said with a sorrowful smile "He had finally found the courage to return to his little brother to repair the damage of the years apart, I couldn't take that from him; he believed I was dead. When I saw his face I knew he had come to terms with it, that he had accepted it. We said our goodbyes." Van felt the tears pricking his eyes.

Ri had done the hardest thing possible, she was willing to die alone and suffer the pain so that her beloved could use the little time he too had left to repair the relationship with his brother that had meant the world to him.

Van tried to fight the tears back but couldn't as Ri embraced him.

"I promise I'll be there for you in my brother's place." Van said as he hugged his sister-in-law.

"Thank you."

Disclaimer: escaflowne is not mine... Ri is.


	17. 16: Peace Ball

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update ive been busy with other stories and college and stuff... this story is nearly over so i hope you have enjoyed it this far place enjoy the chapter and please review .

**Chapter 16 Peace Ball.**

"_She is a peculiar one!" Said one of the voices coming from the darkness._

"_Yes strange how she stopped that dragon from eating the lookouts." Came another voice._

"_Hmmm, it is odd how she heals, look at these wounds almost gone and not a scar left." Said the man that spoke first._

_Hitomi knew she was having another dream but wished she could see something; all was in darkness and only the voices of the two men were around her. _

"_Yes very odd. The emperor will like this one."_

"_I hear that Saki-dono has taken an interest in her." Came a new voice. Hitomi recognised the name; the new man to enter must have been referring to Ri-san's swords master. "He has heard of her healing and feels this is useful in his line of work." _

"_The girl is to become and assassin?" the one who was first to speak and who had the deepest of voices sounded shocked by this. "Yes I see that now, an unstoppable assassin will be a great tool for the Zaibach Empire."_

_Hitomi noticed that the dark was becoming lighter, the voices of the men were gone and only the sobbing of a child could be heard._

"_Why are you crying?" Came a harsh voice though it in turn sounded young. When the darkness faded Hitomi saw who had asked the question and who had been crying. It was Ri-san and Garf-san. "Well girl! Why are you crying?" _

"_It's none of your business if I'm crying or not!" Ri rubbed the tears away using the back of her sleeve. "Who are you anyway?"_

"_What the? Who am I? I'm Garf-Sama to you little girl." _

"_Garf? What kind of name is that?" Scoffed the young Ri._

"_Yeah well what kind of name is Temari?"_

"_It's Ri." A new man had entered the room in which Ri was being kept._

"_Sensei!" Garf immediately bowed his head._

_The man who must have been Saki-Sama was not what Hitomi expected, he looked like he was in his mid 20's with long silver hair untied and flowing freely around him. He wore a simple samurai robe with his sword attached to the belt and his eyes; they were filled with warmth not what Hitomi expected at all from a legendary samurai from Zaibach._

"_Yes it's Ri." He knelt down to be at her level and opened his arms to her. "Ri Saki." Ri hugged her sensei, her arms around his neck as he picked her up. "Come Garf, we must find our new student a room."_

_The darkness returned but this time Hitomi felt a breeze of hot air._

'_why is the air so hot? And that smell I can't place it.' Hitomi said to herself_

"_Ri-Chan!" It was Garf's voice coming from behind her, as she turned that's when Hitomi saw it, the source of the smell – the smell of blood._

_Hitomi covered her mouth and bit her lip to stop from screaming, blood was everywhere! _

_In the middle of the darkened room stood a lone figure, their sword held downwards dripping with blood._

"_Ri-Chan!" Suddenly light flooded the room and the figure could be seen – it was a girl; it was Ri the long raven hair was a right give away but she was so young how could she have caused so much destruction? _

_Ri had her back to the door and Hitomi could not see her face but she knew something was wrong. The young Ri turned slowly to face the intruder – she was smiling! Not only that; she was laughing! _

_Her clothes were stained with blood, the blood that was everywhere in the room and Hitomi saw what she thought to be the remains of a human. Saki-Dono? _

_Ri just stood there laughing her head bend down, her eyes closed._

"_Ri-Chan!" Hitomi could tell that Garf was in disbelief. It wasn't possible._

"_What a loser." Garf gasped how could she call her sensei such a name? "Such an easy battle." Garf stepped into the room but after his second step Ri raised her blood laced sword. The sword although covered with blood was so beautiful it had markings all down the blade which the blood ran through and made clearer, it did not look sharp but it was long far too long for someone of Ri's size and the blade it was so thin, she had cut through a grown man with that sword?_

_Ri had stopped laughing. "Are you scared?" She asked Garf. "Well are you!" Ri raised her head to look Garf-san in the eyes._

_Garf stood stark still; he was terrified for the eyes staring back at him were red._

_Red like a demons eyes! _

That night Hitomi got no more sleep, she couldn't. All she could think about were those red eyes.

"It can't be true, Ri she… She can't be like that." Hitomi sat on her bed with the windows open to the cool night air, she could see the two moons in the sky one being Earth; her home. "Demons don't exist."

"What are you talking about?" Merle popped up from the end of the bed.

"Merle! What are you doing here?" Hitomi was shocked to see the young cat girl since she had spent most of her time by Van's side and in Van's room.

"Does it matter? Why were you talking to yourself? You're so weird; I don't know what Lord Van sees in you." Merle (who was now sat on Hitomi's bed) sat cleaning herself not really caring what was the matter with Hitomi or what she had to say.

"I just had a bad dream is all, it's nothing to worry about Merle." Merle stopped cleaning her self and looked at Hitomi questionably. She did not believe her. "What? It's true."

"A dream is never just a dream with you, what was it about? Was it something to do with Van. If it was something to do with Van then you better tell me Hitomi." Merle though she sounded concerned also sounded threatening.

"No Merle it wasn't Van…It was about Ri-san I saw. I think I saw something from her past." Hitomi was confused; it couldn't have been the past, demons just don't exist but then Hitomi had thought only months ago Dragons were found only fairy tales.

"I heard she fought in the Uprising of Zaibach four years ago, that would have made her only sixteen amazing isn't it. I heard that's where Garf-san got that scar of his too." Merle hadn't listened to a word Hitomi had said.

"Uprising? I never heard of that, what happened?"

"Oh well I'm not sure the other countries didn't get involved but I heard it was a huge group of people from Zaibach that fought against the army and that it lasted days but the army won because they got all the assassins and the elite involved."

"I'm amazed they were able to come back after a civil war, a lot of people must have died." Merle nodded.

"There was one solider that they said killed about a thousand people from both sides! They weren't fighting for the rebellion or the army they just appeared and disappeared during all the fighting, they said that no one knew who it was apart from that they had really long black hair and red eyes like a demon. Can you believe that Hitomi, they say demons really exist but then it's not surprising; people called the Draconians' demons."

Hitomi sat listening to Merle's words, she felt the tugging in her heart telling her that the dream she had was the truth.

When the sun rose Hitomi dressed and decided to walk around the palace, she left Merle sleeping on her bed.

For it being so early in the morning there were a lot of people walking around the palace all looking very busy. Hitomi wondered if it had anything to do with the peace meetings and a ball that was to take place although she had no idea when.

"Make sure that there are guards at all entrances to the palace, check all windows for possible interference and naturally check for bombs. We have the leaders of all the major counties of Gaea coming here; we must make sure that their protection is number one. Is that understood?"

Hitomi had just walked into the main Ball room within the palace where Ri was at one end stood on a raised platform talking to a room full of soldiers, the Knights Caeli and the Royal Guard. The whole room responded then slowly left, they walked past Hitomi as they did so and she often heard a few men complaining about taking orders from a woman.

"I still don't understand why she was given such a role?" said a member of the Royal Guard.

"It's because of the name." Answered one of his comrades, "To have the world famous samurai, Ri Saki-Sama working for Asturia well it makes us look good."

"Yeah but isn't she from Zaibach, how can we trust her?" Said a Knight butting into the conversation.

"Because Sir Allen does that's how." Said another Knight. "I hear she has some connection to the King of Fanelia and to Sir Allen, something to do with his brother."

"Brother? You mean that Dilandau kid from Zaibach? Yeah I heard that too."

The men soon walked off so Hitomi could not hear the end of their conversation, she realized Allen must have explained that Dilandau was his brother which was the reason he was here, it made more sense then saying he was Allens sister changed into a boy because of experiments.

Allen noticed Hitomi as he too walked out of the room.

"Hitomi, you seem to be making a habit of waking early."

"Is Ri-San feeling better already?" Hitomi avoided the subject of waking up, she knew Allen would be able to figure the truth out - he always did.

Allen looked back to Ri who was talking to some other people now. "Yes she seems to be fine, I don't think the poison was made to kill."

'_That or she healed' _thought Hitomi.

Hitomi couldn't look at Ri for seeing that scene in her head of the demon covered in blood, a smile on its face.

"Is everything alright Hitomi?" Asked Allen in if common know all way.

"Yeah, everything's fine. When are the peace talks?"

"This week, it starts with the ball tonight then talks throughout the next few days…security is a problem though."

Allen was called away by some Knights so left Hitomi watching Ri talk to the men from before.

She had a horrible feeling something bad was going to happen tonight at the Peace Ball.


	18. 17: The Demon awakens

A/N: Sorry for the late update people but ive had writers block and been working on other stories…well hope you like it's almost over.

**Chapter 17 The demon awakens.**

That night the palace was buzzing with excitement, everyone was looking forward to the Peace Ball which marked the beginning of 'good times' or so Hitomi had heard. She had been given a dress by Millerna to wear as Hitomi was expected to attend. As she walked down she saw Van dressed in his casual Red shirt and trousers talking to Allen dressed in his full Knight Caeli uniform sword and all.

"Hitomi!" Van had hardly talked to Hitomi in days since he had been kept busy by members of the council. "You look…Different." Hitomi tutted in disapproval, she expected him to say 'you look nice' not _'different'_.

"I think the young lady looks very lovely." Hitomi turned to see who had complimented her.

"Ri-San!" Allen, Van and Hitomi hardly recognized Ri stood before them, she wore her hair down, a white waistcoat top edged in gold, a full-length skirt and white fingerless gloves on her hands. Allen thought she would have been very ladylike if it wasn't for the sword hanging from a golden belt.

"You look amazing Ri-San!" Ri smiled at Hitomi's comment.

"Thank you, someone left the outfit in my room I guessed they wanted me to wear it." Somehow the thought of Ri owning such an outfit seemed unlikely, why they believed it was hers was a thought they didn't understand.

"You should be doing your rounds Schezar, and Van I believe some council members are looking for you." Van sighed, he just could not get way from them. Allen saluted to Ri who was currently his superior and left. Hitomi followed Van as Ri went to check the main hall.

The Ex-assassin walked around the hall when her eyes rested on the black grand piano on the raised platform made for the orchestra.

Ri sat down and lifted the lid, the keys had never been used as they still were still slightly rough from being carved, it was a high quality piano; ivory and ebony keys and the sound was perfectly tuned.

She started to play a old song that she had been taught long ago.

As she sang a small, blonde haired child snuck into the hall drawn to the room by the playing piano and the beautiful voice singing a mournful song. The child no older than five years walked slowly around the grand piano to see who it was singing.

Ri sighed as she finished the song, she closed the lid that protected the finely carved keys and stood; finally noticing the small child by her side. Ri stood looking at the young child, he looked the spitting image of Schezar.

"Are you the pianist for tonight?" asked the small child.

"No I'm not. I'm the head of security and you shouldn't be walking around on your own little boy." Ri knelt to be at his level like she had done several times talking to children in Zaibach. "Is your father a lord involved with the peace talks."

"Chid-Sama, there you are!" A man walked across the large ball room to where Ri and Chid were stood, Ri looked back at the young child - she had not recognised him.

"You're the Duke of Freid?" The man who had been looking for Chid took a step back although Ri had not recognised Chid, Chid's carer had recognised her.

"Chid-Sama please step back from her." He said holding out his had to Chid gesturing that he come to him.

"But she's the head of security." Ri stood in frustration to the mans rudeness.

"What is Asturia thinking? How much you getting paid Raven?" Chid looked up to view the face of stories. His father had told him tales of the raven haired angel of death and that she was rumoured to be the most beautiful woman on Gaea but only those who were to die saw her face…the pianist was an assassin!

"What do you care how much Asturia is paying me?" Ri hated when people used that horrible nickname she had been given. "All you should care about is your safety and the safety of the little Duke here…how better to protect people then use the skills of a killer."

The man scowled, "The Knight's Caeli are the best on Gaea they are protection enough,"

Ri grinned "Not when I can defeat one."

"Do you really think you can defeat Asturia's best?"

"Aunt Millerna!" Millerna walked into the ball room through a smaller side door so had gone unnoticed till now.

"I think it would be a wonderful Idea. A fight between the finest in Asturia and the rumoured best on Gaea who is now under Asturia …it will show future allies how we can help them and possible enemies what they are up against." Millerna had obviously been planning this.

"I am not under any country… fair trade is what I'm doing here. One favour for another right?" Ri was angered that Millerna had insinuated that Ri was now loyal to Asturia and a part of their official security.

"Fair trade…There is no Fair trade with criminals you were given an offer and you accepted; naturally Asturia expect something grand in return and your life loyalty is enough." Ri had clenched her fists and gritted her teeth she couldn't believe they had cheated her like this.

"That was not part of the deal!" She yelled angered by the lies, "I serve Asturia through the peace talks, I do as you wish until these talks are complete and all is well; in return for Dilandau's future and I get to disappear. That was the deal!" Ri took a step forward and placed a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Ri-san!" Allen interrupted just in time. "Everything seems fine in the east side." Ri stepped back and relaxed.

"Good. Have you heard of the plans for tonight's entertainment?" Allen walked up to the small group of people now collecting near the piano, as he moved closer he noticed Chid next to Ri.

"Entertainment?"

"You and I are to duel." Ri answered.

"With training wooden swords naturally, we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt now." Millerna smiled, Allen would surely win.

_Later that day._

Everyone involved in the peace meetings were now gathered in the main hall, although the floor of the hall was empty people were sat and stood in the balconies. Millerna was stood by the piano.

"Lords and Ladies welcome to Asturia." Millerna bowed. "To set off tonight's celebration of Gaea coming under a time of peace a show of the united strength a small duel between the best known samurai on Gaea." Everyone in the room clapped all but Van who was watching up on a balcony with Hitomi and Merle.

"What is she thinking? I cant believe Allen and Ri agreed to this."

"Ri-san didn't have a choice Lord Van." Chid had joined them at the balcony. "She had to do as Aunt Millerna told her, it was in some sort of deal they made." Van had not heard of any deal between Ri and Millerna.

Allen and Ri walked into the main hall and stood opposite each other, they were both armed with a wooden sword and caused a commotion in the room. Some people noticed blushes appear in soldiers faces as Ri walked past as she had changed her outfit to be more suitable for fighting, instead of the long white skirt she now wore what looked like the expensive skirt torn to make it shorter…much shorter. She still wore the heeled white boots but as Hitomi had found women were expected to cover up in Gaea's tradition.

"Presenting the Knight Caeli Allen Crusade Schezar VIII." Allen bowed "And the Former Assassin Known as Ri Saki." Ri bowed as they readied themselves.

"Nice name." Ri said with a smile as she stood in a defence position.

"Nice skirt." The Knight replied.

Allen was the first to make a move but Ri blocked easily.

After the block Allen made a series of attacks but Ri dodged effortlessly hardly seeming to move.

"I cant believe it?" Chid exclaimed.

"Allen isn't really trying." Van answered back.

Allen quickly changed his pattern of attack and went for side swing, although this proved in vain as Ri easily jumped out of his way performing a backwards summersault in the process…some of the men in the crowd groaned when they saw Ri wore a pair of white (almost like hot-pants)shorts under the skirt. Ri landed just as gracefully as she had jumped.

"When are you going to get serious? Please this is annoying me." Allen took a step back he had no intention of being serious he had fought in these show battles before and knew the typical expectation… and how could he be serious when fighting with a wooden sword?

Ri laughed, "I true fighter can take any battle seriously and you don't need a blade to cut!" With that Ri charged at Allen she swung the sword fast but Allen managed to dodge it. A grin appeared on the ex-assassins face.

Hitomi gasped…there was a cut on Allens cheek.

"But how the sword it completely blunt!"

"Ri-san is a master, such a thing is not impossible." Everyone was startled by Dilandau's sudden appearance.

"Dilandau! What the? How the hell did you get here?" Van was the most shocked out of everyone as he knew that Dilandau had been locked in his room.

"I came through the door you idiot." Dilandau lent against the rail of the balcony, "Ri-san will easily defeat Schezar. She hasn't fought a battle in ages I hope she doesn't kill him I was beginning to come over to the idea of having Schezar as my brother."

"Kill him! Why would Ri-san Kill Allen?" Hitomi demanded to know.

"Because she's a samurai and an Assassin, its in her blood that she finish a fight to the end." Dilandau answered not taking his eyes of the battle below although no new strikes had been made only more dodges and blocks.

"But this is only like training right?"

"She has an audience, so I expect she will make an example of Schezar. If she doesn't kill him he will be hospitalised for sure."

"What but that's terrible!" Chid shouted out at Dilandau who didn't seem to care, Dilandau not recognising the voice turned and noticed Chid for the first time.

"Who the hell is this kid?"

"This 'kid' Dilandau is the Duke of Freid." Dilandau shrugged, he had never met chid before.

"You should at least care a little _boy_ if Sir Allen got hurt, you did say he's your brother." This time Chid's assistant spoke.

"Yes perhaps I should…but I like Ri-san much more and would prefer to live with her than that prissy Allen."

"Stop fooling around Schezar!" Ri moved in for another attack, but Allen only just managed to dodge as he moved Ri moved too swinging her leg around and tripping him. Allen opened his eyes to view Ri's wooden sword coming down to meet his face, he managed to roll just before she stopped, when he looked Ri's sword was about an inch from the floor.

_If I hadn't have moved she wouldn't have stopped I'm sure of it._

Ri slowly rose to stand straight facing Allen.

"Ready to get serious Schezar?" Allen readied himself for a strong defence.

"Now it's getting good!" Those watching in the balconies realized what they had witnessed was nothing more than a warm-up.

Ri made her attack a swift movement hard to see but Allen blocked and countered, but she knew he would.

"Allen will lose I know it now." Dilandau was sat down bored with the fight, "I know some of Ri-sans strategy and she is controlling this battle, that's the problem with knights."

"What's the problem with them?" Hitomi asked sounding angry for once, "At least Allen has his loyalties you just go to anyone to get your way."

Dilandau stood and looked down on Hitomi, "Allen will lose because he can't get the fact he is fighting a woman out of his head! But Ri-san is an assassin and will do anything to survive, killing someone she hardly knows will be simple." Dilandau looked back at the fight, "After all she did kill her parents and her sensei."

Hitomi also went back to viewing the fight, she was worried by Dilandau's words Ri-san was a good fighter but she was also not human and the thoughts of Allen surviving she really didn't want to think about them.

"This is hopeless Schezar, Dilandau puts up better fights." Ri sighed she was completely bored. "Time to finish this." Allen took a step back as Ri lowered her sword, he eyes locked with Schezar's. Unfortunately Ri had her back to Van and the others so all they saw was the terror on Allen's face.

"No! It can't be." Dilandau knew what was going on. "Why is she doing this, does she plan to kill us all?"

"What? What are you talking about Dilandau?" Van grabbed the pyro by the collar. Van relaxed as Dilandau's eyes showed an emotion van had never seen in the boy before.

"Inside of Ri-san there lives a demon, one of immense power. I saw it once watching the revolution from the Vione, she cut through the men like they were nothing more than paper. I could hardly keep up with my eyes I just saw the men fall to the ground as she moved killing anyone who got in her way or challenged her. I knew it was her and now she has lost control of the demon within."


	19. 18: A fight to end it all

**A/N: ** Well here it is people I'm sure the title gives it away I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter 18 A fight to end it all.**

"What? What are you?" Allen took a step back from the red eyed women before him; those in the balconies behind him also saw the red eyes and made for the door in horror.

"I would move if I were you. There is going to be an explosion." Ri's voice sounded different like it echoed, like it didn't belong to her.

Suddenly the grand window that made up most of the wall behind the stage was blown away by the explosion that Ri had mentioned would come. The explosion was deafening only being topped by the screams of the lords and ladies attempting their escape and the unfortunate members of the orchestra who had been sitting right in the explosions path.

Van and those in the balconies were flung to the floor by the shock travelling through the building.

As the dust cleared and soldiers made their way into the hall a lone man stood where the piano had been the dead orchestra members not seemingly a problem to him. Allen who had been thrown across the room sat up to see that Ri had hardly moved from her spot.

"Well that was a very satisfying boom! I give it eight out of ten I do like to make an entrance with a bang!" Allen recognized the voice of the red haired Assassin. As guards filled the room cutting off all of exits (including the newly made one in the wall) Garf walked down the hall to great Ri.

"A pleasure to see you again. My Love."

"What is the meaning of this?" General Adelphos made his way through the ranks of men now in the hall to stand a few meters away from the two deadly assassins. "You two work for Zaibach and I didn't see _this_ in the agreement." Ri who had been smiling at the appearance of her old friend turned her now blood red eyes on the fat general.

"I don't remember working for anybody." Adelphos took a step back.

"You!" He stood straight recovering from the shock of seeing those demon eyes. "Dragon Demon Ri, you are under arrest for the slaughter of over 1000 men of which included 700 Zaibach soldiers during the attempted uprising. I suggest you come peacefully as I have all these men in this room ay my disposal and will take you my force."

The woman who General Adelphos had addressed as 'Dragon Demon Ri' threw her head back in laughter.

The laughter suddenly was cut off and in a blink of an eye Ri was stood behind The General his own sword in her hand.

"That's what I thing to your words." Those still in the room gasped as they noticed what had happened, the sword she was holding was dripping in blood. Garf laughed as the body of General Adelphos fell apart, the head sliding off the neck and landing with a thud his limbs falling after cleanly sliced off. Then to finish it a large gash across his entire chest gushed with blood (Garf standing to the side to avoid the spray) till the body finally fell.

Van was shaking, he had seen it all; but he hadn't. He hadn't seen her move until it was too late.

"This is bad; this is really; really bad." Dilandau mumbled to himself. He too had seen her kill Adelphos but he had seen her during the uprising and knew what she was capable off.

"Care to explain Dilandau?" Allen had joined them in the balcony seats; he was clearly in pain and limping he also had a large wound on the side of his head.

"Inside Ri or should I say Temari there is a demon." Allen sat down expecting along story. "You see she was never meant to be born, she died just after she was born but before her spirit left its body the spirit of a dragon demon merged with her trapping them both in the body, or so she told me when I asked about her red eyes."

Ri who had noticed the small gathering on the balcony scanned the room.

"I can handle these guys; I know you have some business to attend to." Garf said drawing one of the swords he was carrying.

With the same speed that she had killed Adelphos with Ri was now stood on the balcony rail (something defiantly only a demon could attempt… especially in Ri's heeled boots).

Van pulled Hitomi and merle behind him and placed his hand on his swords hilt. "What do you want demon?" Ri scanned the balcony with the once brown eyes, they rested on Schezar.

A small smile appeared on the demons face; in a flash she was stood behind him the sword she had taken from Adelphos by his neck.

"I really should thank you for waking me, but there is no place for you."

"No! Don't kill him!" Dilandau had grabbed hold of Ri's arm, "Please don't kill him!" Van more then anyone was surprised to hear Dilandau asking for Allen's life. Ri withdrew.

"You poor child look at what humanity has done to you. The pain and suffering you have been through because of them And you ask me to spare this one human who is no different."

"I know that your body is ill Ri-san and that you will not last the time I have left here, if you kill him then… then I'll be all alone again. I don't want to be alone, don't force me to be alone again. Please don't kill my brother" By this time Chid had been dragged away by his assistant and only Allen, Hitomi, Van and merle saw the flicker of Grey in Dilandau's eyes as he pleaded that Ri spare Allens life.

Ri brushed away the tears forming in the young boys eyes. "I see Serena is not completely dead within you. Very well I will spare this one human for you but do not ask any more favors of me."

Ri looked down at Garf who was easily fighting off the soldiers.

"Humans are horrible beings who live on this world like parasites. Destroying anything that is different to them and even destroying their own kind."

"You plan to kill them all?" Hitomi asked, Ri nodded. "Them why spare Dilandau?"

"Dilandau is known as an inhuman, created through the evil minds of humans. In another way; a demon like me. Humans born naturally onto this land do not deserve to live they are full of wickedness and viciousness. I have seen and felt their evil first hand."

"Yo! Ri I know you're busy up there but I could do with a little help, one against one hundred is a little unfair." Garf shouted up to Ri beginning to get tried of fighting.

"Dilandau I am sure they would like to hear to the rest of my story, I can trust you to tell it as I rid this world of a few more parasites." Dilandau nodded. With that Ri carelessly jumped over the side of the balcony lading by the side of Garf.

"I believe this belongs to you." Garf removed the other sword that he had been carrying, it was the sword Saki-Sama had made, Ri removed it from his scabbard with a smile, it had been so long since she had fought a real battle. Back to back the red haired assassin and the red eyed demon fought off the remaining soldiers.

"Before I start, Ri wasn't the one trying to kill you Van. That was honestly Garf, carrying out a task that Temari would never allow."

"They are two different people, yet everyone calls her Ri even when it is Temari?" Hitomi asked.

"I know it's a little confusing but only Strategos ever called her Temari. Ri was the demon, the killer. Without the will of Ri; Temari would never have been able to kill."

Allen remembered back to when he was in the dungeons with her, she had said she hated blood and the act of killing… was that the real Temari showing herself? The young girl who had taken care of the stolen children that were used in the human experiments?

"I found out from reading her file that when they brought Temari in she was experimented on like myself, they noted that she healed faster and could control dragons. I heard that during one of the experiments she awoke and…" Dilandau paused. "She killed all them all. It was then Zaibach realized she was no human."

"So my brother knew she was a demon?" Dilandau shrugged, he honestly knew little of went on between Folken and Temari.

Below them the fight was coming to a end with Ri down there the numbers of men had gone down significantly; some began to abandon their posts and turned in attempt to save their own lives but Ri would shout "Cowards!" and cut them down before they reached the doors.

Hitomi placed her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from being sick, the scene below was horrid. Bodies lay on top of each other, blood of the dead mingling and forming puddles on the marble flooring, the two killers stood in the centre of the room surrounded by the dead their swords laced in blood. Hitomi noticed the pattern etched into Ri's sword and that of Garf's – their swords were the same.

"Perhaps we should take our fight outside?" Garf's voice pierced the silence it sounded so eerie.

"So you still plan on killing me?"

"Naturally. If I don't kill you now then sooner or later you will cut me down. I may love you Ri but I must pay you back for that humiliation you caused me that day during the uprising. You cruelly left me with this scar rather than killing me. Back then I was not worth your time but now I am more than capable of killing you!" Ri smiled.

"We shall test that!" Ri raised the blood laced sword and plunged it into the marble floor suddenly the whole room was ablaze.

The screams of those who were still alive but too injured to move echoed and merged with the sound of the roaring fire.

"What is she doing?" Yelled Hitomi over the sounds, covering her eyes from the intense light and feeling the heat on her skin.

Soon the screams were no more and the fire cooled when the group on the balcony looked they were left speechless. All that remained of the soldiers bodies were piles of black soot, their swords melted on the blackened marble. Garf stepped on a skull that had been ripped of its flesh - it turned into dust beneath his foot.

"Nice trick. Just what you would expect from a dragon demon."

"It's about time we finished this."

Ri and Graf charged at each other with tremendous speed sending the ash of the dead into the air, the clash of their razor sharp swords reflected off the walls sounding like lightening crashing down onto the earth.

Again and Again their swords clashed soon someone would miss the mark, soon a blow would be made. Another block this time Garf being pushed down. He jerked his arm to throw Ri off but she recovered fast and made for a calculated slash at his chest, the assassin saw it coming but his movements were two slow and sword finally cut flesh.

Garf grimaced in pain but he couldn't stop, he made for a quick attack something she wouldn't predict after his injury. His gamble worked and he managed to return the cut only the demon could heal and her injury was not as deep to begin with.

Ri laughed.

Van didn't know if to be excited or scared at the battle below him. He knew if Garf failed and lost than Ri would go on to her plan to rid the world of humans; but the battle was so fast, so exhilarating. They moved with accuracy and almost beauty reading each others movements and reacting to them like a dance. Never had Van seen a sword fight like it his heart was pounding knowing that one wrong move could mean death for either of them.

Ri and Garf separated after another block but this time Ri had miscalculated and Garf and thrown her sword across the room, Hitomi remembered the flashback she had seen before of their fight (see chapter 11) Ri had been distracted the last time her sword was taken from her…had something taken her mind away from the fight this time?

"Bastard!" Ri cursed as her sword went spinning across the room. She withdrew a dagger from her boot. This time it was Garf who laughed.

"Do you expect to defeat me with that tiny thing?"

"Perhaps." Ri ran towards Garf as he readied to defend himself. Just as Ri reached him she threw some ash in his face and skidded past him driving the dagger into his left foot.

Garf screamed in pain, the dagger had gone right through his boot, foot and through the floor nailing him in place (the dagger was longer than he thought).

Ri stood and brushed her white outfit down ridding it of the ash even though it was stained red in places; she casually walked over to where her sword had stopped and picked it up.

"Now who do you think will win?" She asked as Garf knelt in excruciating pain.

"This isn't good. We should get out of here Van." Hitomi tugged on Vans shirt but he would not move, he was too mesmerized by the fight.

"I will not lose." Garf took hold of the daggers hilt only for small arrow head like spikes to burst out of the hilt and into his hand. Garf screamed in agony now he was pinned to the floor and his hand was attached to the dagger.

Ri laughed as Garf held back the want to scream, he must have been in so much pain.

"Now I will end this battle." Ri raised her sword, there was no way Garf could protect himself the way he was.

Garf took a deep breath in. Ri stepped back knowing what he was going to do. Garf yelled out as he yanked the dagger from his foot, his hand still attached to the daggers hilt.

"Now that hurt." Garf said through gritted teeth, Ri scowled she did not expect this.

"THIS ENDS NOW!!!" Garf held his sword with his left hand, not his strongest but it was still powerful, he also had the extra weapon; where as Ri had become over confident now that she had the slight upper-hand.

Ri moved in fast going for the heart where as Garf stood still watching her movements looking for an opening…there it was; there was his chance. Garf finally moved using his right hand he went in for Ri's shoulder.

Everyone held their breaths they knew this was it.

"I can't watch!" Hitomi hid her face in Vans shoulder, the young king held her as the final blow was made.

Hitomi felt Vans grip tighten, she knew it then was over.

"We go together…My Love." Garf had known there was no way he could have defeated Ri without giving his own life. He had distracted her with the dagger forcing her to react and leaving her stomach wide open, and this is how they stood each others swords through them the dagger in Ri's right shoulder.

Hitomi felt the tears run down her cheeks, she couldn't help it.

"Don't cry little one." Hitomi turned from Vans arms as she heard Ri's voice but what she saw wasn't the ball room but a small cell.

"Hitomi is this"?

"The past…" Before them both sat a much younger Ri by her side a crying Dilandau.

"You poor thing, did they take you from your home? What did they do to you?" Ri took the child Dilandau in her arms and out of the cell. Van and Hitomi watched as time passed.

They were now stood in a grand room facing Ri who was tending to a pair of sleeping cat girls.

"Hitomi what's going on?" Van asked taking hold of Hitomi's hand unsure of himself. Why was it he was seeing these 'visions' too?

"It must be the demon Ri's power, showing us her memories."

"I picked them up near here, don't you think they're adorable." Vans grip on Hitomi's hand increased as he saw his brother walk through the door.

"Really Strategos been in power three days and taking in strays…" Ri said laughing quietly. "What ever will we do with you?"

Another scene another memory, some were longer then others some overlapped it was if the two had opened a door right into the dying thoughts of Ri. Some of the memories were of Folken others Dilandau; some showed flashes of when she was tortured of the slash coming down on her back, the pain as they strung her up in a dome at the capital, and the horror on Folken's face when she was brought down.

For Van it began to feel like too much, seeing these memories knowing what he knew he couldn't understand why his brother had loved such a person and why she with a demon who wanted to destroy every human being in her had loved him in return.

"Can I see her?" It was Folken's voice this time to draw them into the memory.

"I'm just removing some of the stitches; it isn't a nice sight Folken." Hitomi unlike van recognized the girl; she must have been close to Ri and Folken; known about their relationship. "Very well but don't upset her." The girl stood aside as Folken pulled back the curtain.

Hitomi gasped as she saw the extent of the torture. Ri was sat with her back to Folken, topless and her hair tied in a bun to reveal the scars and some of the metal on her right side. This memory must have been only weeks after it happened.

"Ren is dead." Ri tried to slip her robe back over her shoulders but it caused her too much pain to move. Folken almost forgetting where he was walked up to the struggling woman and helped her; she tried to shrug him away.

"I don't need your help." She said tightening the belt and standing from the beds side.

"You should not push yourself or the wounds will reopen." Ri looked away. "I know it infuriates you that there is nothing you can do right now; but a lot of people on board this ship are worried for you and finding it hard to get work done knowing that you are unwell."

"How can you…" Ri began, "how can you still be worried for me after you saw…I know your saw the red eyes." Folken smiled.

"It was a hard task getting hold of your file but I doubt you would have told me otherwise. So I see Zaibach believe you are not completely human." Ri turned her back only to be embraced lightly (so not to hurt her back) "Then we have something in common."

"Brother knew she was a demon and he said that!"

"What do you mean?" Ri asked.

"Some people called the Draconians demons, so if that is true then I am half demon."

The memory died away.

"Brother still loved her, even after he found out. Why?" Van and Hitomi were quickly brought out of the memories and back to the ball room.

Not a moment had passed.

Van rushed to the edge of the balcony and saw as Garf pulled himself free of Ri's sword, her eyes changing back to her original brown as she fell backwards to die.

"TEMARI!" Before van realized he jumped off the balcony spreading his pure white wings, Temari as she fell saw the wings and smiled.

"Folken." Van landed beside her.

"Temari! Temari!" Temari's breaths were deep and harsh she was losing a lot of blood.

"Please Van…Garf he…Missed my heart…She will heal and the pain will continue." Temari clutched her sword. "Please Van…End it." Van knew he was crying; now he saw the Temari his brother had loved. The misfortunate soul who had been trapped and forced to see and feel mankind's worst, who had fought against the demon within only to fail. Temari never wanted to kill a soul but had to in order to remain control so sought out the evil in the world, but even that to Temari was too much she had killed many people and for her there would never be a reason to justify her actions.

"I was so selfish…I should have killed myself long ago but…Your brother…He was the only one to show me…True kindness…I didn't want to lose that… That feeling that someone cares." Vans white feathers fell around her as he took the sword from her grasp.

Van closed his eyes as he placed the sword over her heart; he took a breath in to drive it through.

"Arigatou."

Vans eyes snapped open as Temari uttered her last words of thanks, but it was too late the word had killed her.

Van felt the tears fall as she saw Temari's slight smile.

In death she would be reunited with her true love, who she was destined never to be apart from.

Two souls forever hurting and only finding peace for their torn hearts together.

Two demons wondering the earth, now they were together never to feel pain again.

**THE END** …Sort of

**A/N:** When I mean sort of I mean there is still the epilogue **Please leave a review on your way out.**


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: **YO! Welcome to the end of TAATP (shortened it) …even though few people read the Epilogues I wanted to add one for Dilandau's sake so here it is… enjoy.

**Epilogue **

The sun shone brightly through the trees on the clearing, it was so peaceful here, here people could forget about the world and its troubles, here in this small spot in Fanelia and this was exactly why the young man in his early twenties was stood here.

Time had passed quickly on Gaea, but all was not well. The death of the dragon demon known as Ri awoke other demons and brought out those who were in hiding wanting her human free world. Zaibach had fallen into great despair and only the demons and inhuman's as they were officially called dwelled there; sometimes those who had come under great poverty which was common for those who had lived in Zaibach before its fall still lived there but they lived in constant fear.

Fanelia was very grand despite having a 'demon' King, it had done well in the past years being kind to inhuman's and demons who wanted nothing more than to live although all were inspected and records were kept. The fact that the Demon Ri's body rested in Fanelia kept a lot of demons who would cause havoc away worried that they would be cursed.

The young mans silent thoughts were cut off as playful screams and shouts came down the path towards the clearing.

"Hurry up little brother!" Shouted the first boy who stopped as he saw the silver haired figure in a deep blue cloak.

"Why did you stop Gaou?" Asked the younger boy.

"Gaou?" The boys stepped back as the stranger spoke, the young boy with black hair and dark eyes pointed his small dagger like sword at the figure.

He laughed and held up his cloak to show two long swords.

"You're…You're a demon hunter!" The two boys stepped backwards further as the demon hunter came forward. "How dare you step foot in Fanelia Demon Hunter! You are not welcome here."

"Is that so? Could that be because your father is a demon?" The older of the boys known as Gaou scowled but even the fear in his face was evident as the hunter placed a hand on one of his swords hilts.

"Dilandau!" The hunter stopped dead in his tracks as the harsh, scolding voice only a mother could pull off shouted his name. "You disappear for five years then return to scare my children senseless. I thought better of you!" The two boys looked from their mother to the man she had addressed as Dilandau.

"Ah! I'm sorry Hitomi; I just wanted to see how you had raised your kids so I thought I would tease them a little."

"Wait Dilandau? As in Uncle Dilandau?" Asked Gaou.

"So you remember me? You were so young when I left." Dilandau knelt down to be at the boys' heights.

"Yeah I know, the inhuman that kills demons and protects us using Aunt Ri's swords." Dilandau gasped.

"Gaou! What did I say about calling your Aunt that?" Hitomi scolded her child.

"So he knows about Temari? I noticed you had Temari engraved on her head stone." Dilandau turned to look back at the headstones of the fallen rulers of Fanelia. Here Folken and Temari rested together. Hitomi nodded, they had kept nothing from their children; when asked why Fanelia protects the demons and inhuman's they answered plainly that their Aunt Temari was known as the dragon demon Ri and that their Uncle if alive would have been regarded as an inhuman since he had an auto-mail limb which was condemned by Austria as inhuman.

"We thought it best to have her true name engraved on the stone, the name Folken called her." Van walked out from the trees.

"Papa! Mother told you to follow the path!" Said the younger of the two brothers. Van laughed and patted his son on the head.

"I'm sorry Goku but this way is much more interesting." Van stood to face Dilandau; he hadn't changed much in the six years. "So you returned after all."

"…" Dilandau was silent he hated when Van was right.

Hitomi noticed the silence.

"Goku why don't you say hello to your uncle Dilandau, this is the first time you've met."

Goku looked blankly at the demon hunter "But he doesn't look like a hermaphrodite." Hitomi gasped, "Oniichan said that he was a hermaphrodite." Dilandau turned his eyes on to Gaou as Van burst out in laughter.

"Why you little…" Gaou yelped as Dilandau chased the prince around the clearing. "Come here you little brat!" Dilandau shouted over the laughter of Van and Hitomi.

Dilandau agreed to return to the palace for one night and one night only, after Hitomi asked when the last time it was when he had had a decent meal and a bath.

III

After a meal and a welcomed bath Dilandau was allowed to do as he wished but all he did was stand on the balcony and looked out over the night sky and Fanelia.

"So you have returned?" Dilandau's heart skipped a beat as he heard a voice he thought was gone; he quickly turned to the figure sat in the chair also looking out over Fanelia.

"Br-Brother!" Dilandau didn't know what else to say, he believed Allen was dead.

"It's been so long, you've grown."

"How can you say that? You can't even see!" Dilandau yelled. He was right though; Allen had been blind for almost five years after an attack.

"I've heard the stories about you Dilandau. A demon slayer that kills with a demons sword. For five years you have roamed Zaibach protecting those that still remain there from demons that want revenge, from the demons and inhuman's that want to kill them. Is it all because you killed that one demon, that you felt that you had to protect everyone else?"

"I…" Dilandau was facing the blinded Allen knowing that is was all his fault. "I thought that he had killed you, returning home to find everyone dead like that, finding you. They took away my home; my family. I felt that I needed to take revenge just like them. I plan to end the lives of all the demons and inhuman's that wish pain on others. When I am done..."

"You will take your own life? It's amazing that you still live." Allen laughed. "It's more amazing that you came to Fanelia. I thought you hated Van?"

"I see now that what Van did was right. Temari was losing the battle against that demon Ri and even thought she thought she only had a short time to live her estimates seemed to be off. If Ri; if that demon was allowed to live then we could all be dead right now Zaibach would not be the only country in ruin." Allen smiled.

"I see you have grown, I'm glad that I got to see you."

"Are you making fun of yourself? Allen can i ask you something?" Allen nodded "Are you happy living like this?" Dilandau looked back out to view the city. "Van told me that some days you're in so much pain you can hardly move. Do you regret being saved Allen?" Allen just smiled as Dilandau went through his guilt trip.

"Fanelia is a nice place to live. I do miss the sea at times but the mountains are very peaceful. Being cast away from Asturia, living with these false limbs and being blind it's nothing really." Dilandau growled.

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!?! DO YOU KNOW THAT THE DEMONS MAKE FUN OF YOU? THEY SAY THAT YOU'RE NOTHING NOW! A MAN WHO CAN HARDLY WALK!?!" Allen kept his composure as Dilandau had his tantrum, he just sat in his chair and smiled…Dilandau had grown but he still didn't understand.

III

The once dragon slayer stood before the large, white memorial stone. The sun was just rising and the birds sang their songs to welcome the morning.

"I'm sorry Temari, I seem to have turned into what you spent your whole life trying to avoid. I'm killing people even though I know it's wrong. I say it's because they threaten us but doesn't that just make matters worse? In turn we threaten them giving them the right to kill us too don't you think? Was that why Ri wanted to just destroy all the humans, to make it easier for the demons… No that's wrong; she wanted to end all the fighting by taking away the reason why people fight. Allen got injured and I blamed myself; was that right? That demon believed it was Allen that killed Ri, he wanted revenge and he tried to kill Allen but I intervened and killed him. Was that right too? I just kept making up reasons for why I killed and now I can't stop because they will come after Allen and the others. I don't want to make Van and Hitomi unhappy and I don't want to put them at risk so what do I do? Please Temari what do I do now?"

"I'm sorry Dilandau I don't think she will have any answers for you." Hitomi had followed Dilandau to the clearing. "I'm sure she asked herself the same thing everyday, it's human nature all of this, things we don't understand." Dilandau had his back to the queen of Fanelia. "I learnt something a long time ago Dilandau that i don't think you understan. That there must always be darkness if there is light and we just have to look to balance it if we want peace." Dilandau turned to leave. "Where are you going?"

"To balance out the darkness." Dilandau answerd disappering into the trees.

Hitomi smiled."To believe you're the same person I knew all those years ago, but really none of us have changed; you still feel that you don't belong don't you Dilandau." She sighed and looked up into the blue sky. "You always have a home here Dilandau please remember that."

**THE END…**For real

**A/N**: ARIGATOU to all those who have read The Assassin and The Prince to the end, I hope you enjoyed it. If you did enjoy and don't mind Mary sue ish stories then check out my new fan fiction coming soon… 'An Unexpected trip to…Gaea!' based on my friends (Nanashi-hikage) fic 'An Unexpected trip.' Which features Full metal alchemist. A BIG Thank you to all you lovely readers and reviewers. Oh and P.S if there is something you still don't understand I will be happy to answer any remaining questions.


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